Multiplicity
by Ryuko-chan
Summary: My take on a season of Slayers. Whatever happened to Shadow Lina and Nahga? What IS the exact opposite of what Lina and Nahga would do? With each other? And what's up with Xelloss? Moderate Zel/Lina-ness. Update! 3/15/03: Chapter 1 Grammar fixed!
1. Chapter 1: Abhorrence! The resurfacing o...

Multiplicity

Chapter 1: Abhorrence! The resurfacing of the dreaded serpent

                "Oh-hohohohohoho!" Naga the white serpent laughed, causing the rest of the bar's patrons to cringe. 

                The barkeep cautiously walked up to the counter, "Um, ma'am, I have to ask you to stop that, erm, laughter, or I'll have to ask you to leave." He said, shaking in fear. 

                Naga gave him a look, turning, "All right, I can see that you people's constitutions are too weak to comprehend the wonder that is Naga. I'll leave now." She said, sniffing haughtily. She turned towards the door. And stopped. Standing in the doorway was Lina Inverse. 

                "LINA!" Naga shouted, "Lina Inverse, at last I have found you!" she shouted. 

                Lina stared at her with wide, frightened eyes. 

                "What's the matter with you, Lina?" Naga shouted loudly, "Don't you remember your generously endowed rival, Naga the white serpent?" 

                Lina cringed, "Gracia, why are you yelling at me?" She said in a small, shrill voice. 

                Naga stopped short, staring at Lina with wide eyes, "How did you.." she started, but was interrupted by the appearance of another figure. It was a tall, generously endowed woman with dark purplish hair. Her figure was made a bit less marvelous by the fact that she was wearing a large, shapeless muumuu in a completely unflattering shade of brown. On the plus side, however, she looked very comfortable. 

                "What?" The mysterious woman said. 

                "Gracia!" Lina shouted, confused. 

                "What is it, Lana?" the stranger called. 

                "Lana?" Naga said in confusion. 

                "Oh!" the woman called 'Gracia' said softly, "You are…" she said, looking at Naga. 

                It suddenly dawned on Naga, "You look just like me! Youre… shadow me!" She said, pointing at 'Gracia', "And you must be Shadow Lina!" she said, pointing at 'Lana'. They nodded. 

                After a time….

                "So, after you two left, you met up with the other ten me's?" Naga asked. 

                'Gracia' nodded, "We tried to get them to stop their evil ways, but they wouldn't listen.." She said softly. 

                Naga sighed pensively, thinking of the time it would take ten exact copies of her to bowl over these two wimps.

                'Lana' whimpered, "Where's Miss Lina?" she asked, seeming worried. 

                Naga shrugged, "Oh, I haven't seen her for a while. She ran off somewhere." She paused, "Damn that Lina Inverse, lost me again! It seems for good this time." She said. 

                At just that time….

                "Man, Gourry, I'm starving!" Lina shouted.

                "Yeah, me too!" Gourry shouted. 

                Amelia smiled, "Look, there's a tavern right there!" she said, pointing. 

                Zelgadis sighed, "We might as well go on in, it's not like we're going to get any traveling done today anymore." He said, staring up at the dark, ominous skies. 

                Silphiel nodded, "Mr. Zelgadis is right, it looks as if it is going to rain." She said. 

                They walked into the tavern, and Lina looked around. Suddenly her mind was struck by panic. There, sitting in the corner were…. OH MY GOD!!! Her eyes widened, "Uh, on second thought, let's get outta here!" she said, pushing the rest back out the door. 

                Gourry frowned, "Hey, Lina, come on, we're not going to get any food out there!" he shouted. 

                Lina frowned, "I don't care, Gourry, I just can't go in there!" she said through gritted teeth. 

                While Lina was pushing Gourry back, Zel, Silphiel, and Amelia slipped through. 

                Amelia gasped loudly, a strange look of shock on her face. 

                Zel rolled his eyes, "What? Injustice being served somewhere?" he asked sarcastically. 

                Amelia paid no attention, "Mr. Zelgadis, Miss Silphiel, It's it's…" she said, pointing.

                "What, Miss Amelia?" Silphiel asked.

                "It's my sister! AND MISS LINA!" she shouted. 

                Zel, ever the skeptic, glanced over. And then he looked more sharply. The Lina who sat at the table looked exactly like the Lina who was now violently beating Gourry in the doorway, allowing for a change to more drab and darker clothing. 

                "Come on, Lina!" Gourry shouted, blocking the blows that were raining down on him. Lina seemed to be panicking. 

                Zel sweatdropped, "Hey, uh, Lina… er.." Zel said, trying to figure out how to ask Lina such a strange question. 

                Lina looked back, and sighed in surrender, "Damn it… well, I suppose it had to come out sometime.." Lina said. 

                Just then, Lana looked up at the doorway, "Miss Lina!" she shouted. She ran up to Lina, "Oh Miss Lina, it is so good to see you, I missed you so much!" Lana shouted. 

                Both Naga's stood, "AH LINA!! LINA INVERSE, THERE YOU ARE!! You have avoided your greatest rival for long enough, and I, Naga the white…" she stopped, thunderstruck, as she caught a glimpse of Amelia, "Amelia?" she said. 

                "Big sister!" Amelia shouted. She jumped up to hug Naga, but stopped as she saw Gracia, "Huh?" she said, confused. 

                "Miss Amelia, my sister..." Gracia said softly. She ran up to Amelia and hugged her. 

                Amelia twitched, "Huh?" she said again. 

                "Meet Gracia, my, er, Shadow twin." Naga said. 

                "But, sister, you're Gracia!" Amelia said, confused. 

                "No, I AM NAGA, THE WHITE SERPENT!" she shouted, striking a confident pose. 

                Amelia frowned, "Heh?" she mumbled, disconcerted. 

                Lina put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, you're not the only confused one.." she said, jerking her thumb towards Gourry, Silphiel, and Zel, who wore their respective blank faces. 

                Lana was still hugging Lina, "Oh, Miss Lina, you won't believe how horrible it's been, we've been so poor! I had to go and borrow money from our big sister!" she said. 

                Lina choked on nothing, her face turning blue, "You WHAT?" she gasped. 

                "She was very gracious to me, once I told her the story… she just wanted me to run an errand for her." Lana said, preoccupied, as Lina fainted dead away. 

                Gourry frowned, and scratched his head, "I really don't know what's going on around here.." He said. 

                Zel sighed, "You're not the only one.." he said. 

                Amelia kneeled on the ground, "Miss Lina!" she shouted, shaking her. 

                Lina blinked sleepily, "Oh, hi Amelia… I had the strangest dream.. My Shadow-twin was here, and so was Naga, and she was your sister, and then…" she paused, and her eyes widened. 

                "Um, Hello Miss Lina.." Lana said shyly. 

                Lina's eyes were afire, "How much money did you borrow, and WHAT DID SHE HAVE YOU DO??" Lina screeched. 

                Lana blinked, eyes filled with tears, "Miss Lina, please don't yell at me…" she said, weeping.

                "What did she have you do?" Lina asked calmly.

                "Nothing, really.. It was quite strange, she just asked me to take a shower…" Lana said, confused and teary. 

                Gourry, Zel, Amelia, and Silphiel were staring on in total silence. 

                "OH MY GOD!!" Lina screamed, remembering the last great prank she had played on her sister. She had used a spell to project the image of her sister bathing on the village square's central monolith. Lina had never been paid back for that, it was her last great act before she left home.

                 Zel turned to Gourry, "You wanna ask her what's going on?" he asked. 

                Gourry glanced at Lina, who was roiling in fear and anger. There was a flaming aura around her which was almost tangible. Gourry gulped, "Nope." He said. 

                Zel sweatdropped, "I didn't think so.." he said. 

                Naga looked over at the four standing in the corner, and laughed, "OH-HOHOHOHOHOHO! So, you are who Lina joined up with when she left? Quite honestly, I don't think any amount of people could make up for the loss of Naga, the white serpent!" 

                They all sweatdropped but Silphiel. Zelgadis growled, "Was that some sort of challenge?" he asked. 

                Meanwhile, Lina was banging her hands on the ground, cracking the wood, "SHE DID IT, SHE DID IT JUST FOR PAYBACK!!" She was shrieking. 

                Silphiel was the first to realize that Lina was breaking down the bar. She ran over to Lina, "Miss Lina, I don't know what's going on here, and I don't know what you're so mad about, but don't you think that maybe it would be better to calm down?" she asked sweetly. 

                Lina looked over at Silphiel, eyes glowing, "I'm never.. ever… EVER GOING HOME!" she shrieked. 

                Silphiel's eyes widened, "Oh." she said blankly. 

                "Eh?" Gourry said, in the middle of drawing his sword. 

                Lina shook her head, "ALL RIGHT!" she said. She turned to the frightened patrons, who were scrambling to get out, and the barkeep who was hiding under the bar, "You!" she called to him, "I'm gonna need ten servings of tonight's special!" she shouted haggardly. 

                The barkeep nodded, mentally counting the number of people. 

                "Yeah, double that!" Gourry shouted. 

                The barkeep staggered, "DOUBLE?" he asked. 

                Lina glanced at him with icy eyes, "Just do it." She growled. 

                Zel sat down, rubbing his forehead with one hand, "And a cup of tea!" he shouted to the barkeep, "My head hurts," he murmured, "What is going on here?" he asked. 

                Lina smiled, "Well, it all started when the Professional Magic user's Society needed us to…

                 A HALF AN HOUR LATER

                "And we never saw them again, until now." Lina finished. A giant plate was set in front of her, "Finally!" she shouted. 

                Gourry, Zel, Amelia, and Silphiel stared on in silence. 

                "Uh…" Gourry started. 

                "Miss Lina!" Amelia shouted, banging her fist on the table, "Why didn't you ever tell me that you knew my sister?" 

                Lina sighed, "Mphell, shke nebber tolgh mhe dat shme waskh," Lina swallowed, "A princess! Gosh, I only noticed the resemblance in passing…." She mumbled, stuffing her mouth full again. 

                Gracia looked on, wide eyed. 

                Lana looked down. 

                Amelia rolled her eyes.

                 Naga was drinking… 

                Gourry was asleep. 

                Silphiel was staring, wide eyed, at Naga. 

                Zel was drinking his cup of tea. He slammed it down, "So, you mean to tell me that you found the famous shadow reflector, and this is your shadow twin?" he asked, gesturing toward Lana. 

                Lina nodded, mouth full. 

                He sighed, turning to her, "So, she's the exact opposite of you?" he asked. 

                Lina nodded, mouth still full. 

                He turned to Lana, "So, what do you have to say for yourself?" he asked Lana. 

                She looked at him with wide, frightened eyes, and burst into tears, "I'm, I'm sorry, sir, I'm just, you're, you're scary!" she shouted. 

                Zel's eyes widened, and a vein on his forehead stood out, "WHAT?" he shouted, standing. 

                Lina put a hand on his shoulder, as Lana and Gracia clung to each other, crying. , "Zel…" she said. 

                He sat, huffing. 

                Amelia frowned, "So, Miss Lina, this person is the exact opposite of my sister?" Amelia said, pointing to Naga. 

                "No, that's really your sister.." Lina said. 

                Amelia smiled, "I knew it!" she said, glomping on her sister, "No one of the Seyruun family could be such a spineless mollycoddle!" she shouted, raising a fist to the air. 

                Naga gasped, "Choking…" she murmured.

                "Oh, dear Gracia! I know that all this time you have been fighting for truth and justice in this world!" she shouted, eyes starry. 

                Lina smiled, "Not exactly.." she said. 

                Amelia gasped, "You mean…." She said. 

                Lina smiled again, "Taught me everything I know.." she said sarcastically. 

                Amelia's eyes went all starry, "No, oh Gracia, say it isn't so! You've let the burning justice of your heart be tainted by Miss Lina's brand of bandit-crisping justice!" She shrieked. 

                Zel sweatdropped, "Look who's talking… God, if I didn't know better, I'd think Lina was your sister…" He said smugly. 

                Amelia gave him a burning glance. 

                Lina finished her ten dinners, and set the plate aside, "So, what have you all been up to while I was gone?" Lina asked. 

                "I have been traveling the countryside looking for the perfect recipe for curry-flavored shaved ice!" Naga shouted. 

                Lina sweatdropped,"Well, we'll be sure to inform you of that when we find it." She said. 

                "What about you, my most childish rival?" Naga inquired. 

                Lina resisted the urge to blast her into another dimension, and replied in measured tones, "Well, I killed the dark lord Shabranigdo, and the Dark Lord Phibrizzo, and as a result of my actions, The dark lord Gaav died.. I also rescued Seyruun from a pair of monsters who threatened to kill prince Phil, and I defeated copy Rezo.." she said. Naga gave her a blank look. Then she laughed, causing everyone at the table to cover their ears.

                "OH-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! LINA, do you expect me to believe all that, I mean, please, my diminutive junior partner, caused the death of three dark lords? It is to laugh! OH-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" she laughed. 

                Zel nodded, "You know, she's right, Lina.." he said, "It is kind of unbelievable.. in fact, if I hadn't been there, I wouldn't believe it.." he said. 

                Lina growled. 

                "Besides, Miss Lina, we helped, at least a little bit!" Amelia shouted. 

                Lina frowned, "Well, I suppose you're right, if it hadn't been for you guys, I would never have done all that stuff." She said. 

                Zel sighed, "Yeah, and the world would have definitely ended by now." He said. 

                Lana looked up in fear, "What?" she said, "No! That's scary, too scary!" she sobbed. 

                Gracia nodded, "If the world ended, we would die!" she said, her eyes filling with tears. 

                Lina gave them a look of disbelief, "Well, at least she's less weepy.." she said. 

                "She used to be worse than this?" Zel asked. 

                Lina nodded, "But.. the thought of someone who was the exact opposite of me being like that scared off Lagon…" she said. 

                Zel nodded, "I can see why.." he said. 

                Lina hit him upside the head, but only succeeded in hurting her hand. She sighed.

                "So.. what are we going to do now?" Gourry asked. 

                Amelia jumped up on the table, "We MUST help these poor defenseless creatures!" she said loudly. 

                Gracia and Lana clutched each other in fear, "You're loud…" they said. 

                Amelia sweatdropped. She whispered to Lina, "You're sure they're the exact opposite, now?" she said. 

                Lina frowned, "YES!" she shouted angrily. 

                Amelia smiled. 

                "So, now we're what?" Zel asked in disbelief, "We're going to travel with.. two Lina's, and this odd person?" Zel asked. 

                Both Naga and Amelia fumed, but Amelia then smiled, "Oh, but, Mr. Zelgadis, I would think that you would enjoy having two beautiful.. and demure women around, after all, you went for that Femille gal, I mean guy…" She said. 

                Zel's eyes widened, and he facefaulted. 

                "Amelia!" Lina called, "That was a low blow!" she said. 

                Amelia blinked innocently, "It was just an observation, Miss Lina." She said. 

                Zel growled and stood up, swirling his cape behind him, "I'm going to bed.." he growled, trudging up the stairs.

                *Great, this is just great..* he thought, *Now we're three Seyruun princesses strong, and.. ::shudder:: two Lina's! What have I gotten myself into? We had enough soft-spoken pacifists with Silphiel!* he trod up the stairs, still angry.

                Speaking of demure and kind clerics, Silphiel had been sitting in utter silence for the last few minutes. She quietly scooted over to Gourry, and put her arm around his. Gourry looked down at her.

                "What's the matter?" he asked. She smiled. 

                "Nothing, Gourry, dear.." she said quietly. 

                *Now there's two of them to get between me and my dear Gourry.. What will I ever do?* she asked herself silently. 

                Gourry turned back to Lina, who was finishing off the last of her dessert. 

                "So, Anyway," Lina said, "It's about time we got some sleep, and stopped worrying about all this. It'll take care of itself in the morning." She said, yawning.

                 Lana and Gracia got up and walked to a room upstairs. Naga, meanwhile, had fallen asleep on the bench. Amelia looked at Lina, "Could you help me get her to a room?" She asked helplessly. 

                Lina smiled, "No need, just leave her there.." she said. 

                Amelia threw up her arms, "If you say so, Miss Lina." Amelia said. 

                They filed upstairs to one of the rooms with double beds, and flopped down, immediately falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Bewilderment! Something smell...

Chapter Two: Bewilderment! Something smells funny in the province of twinsville  
  
A bird crawed noisily outside the window. It took flight, rustling the tree's branches. A faucet slowly dripped.  
  
*Crap!* thought Zelgadis loudly *I knew that drinking coffee so late wouldn't be such a hot idea! Though I'm sure if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to take that Nahga person. Without beating her senseless, of course.* Zel proceeded to ponder that for a moment, realized that it wasn't helping him sleep, and decided to get up. He walked down the stairs very quietly, noting sounds of restlessness from one room.  
  
*Hm..* he thought suspiciously. He shrugged, and walked on. He spent a little while digging himself up some hot water, and herbal tea, and walked upstairs, cup in hand. The sounds of restlessness had gotten more loud, so he decided to open the door, and see if there was anything going on. After all, Lina seemed pretty hot to get out of there once her shadow- twin showed up, and Zel wasn't about to let her dodge the utter embarrassment. He opened the door cautiously, peeking in through the crack. His eye widened, and he slammed the door open. He stood there, in utter shock, at Lina and Nahga, in a furious lip-lock, and near-naked in the bed. The teacup flew to the ground, covering Zelgadis' feet in scalding hot water. Of course, his skin was made of stone, so it didn't really bother him. At the shattering sound of the cup, Lina and Nahga looked up, eyes wide. Zel backed up.  
  
"I-I-I, uh..." he said, blushing so fiercely that his skin was more red than blue. Suddenly, Gourry appeared, running behind Zel's back.  
  
"What is it, Zel?" he asked, then he shouted, "Ah! Who spilt the boiling water?" The sputtering and pointing Zelgadis, shook his head in confused horror. Gourry looked over, and his eyes widened. Silphiel followed.  
  
"Gourry, dear?" she asked. He pointed. Silphiel looked, and smiled brightly, "Yes!" she said triumphantly.  
  
"It's not what you think.." Lina said. Of course, no one at that point, was listening to either of them. Zel seemed to be in shock. Gourry was less in shock than confused. All of a sudden.  
  
"What are you all staring at?" Lina asked from the doorway. Zel turned, jostled from his.. utter horror.  
  
"Lina?" he asked. He did a double take. Lina looked over his shoulder. Then she screamed.  
  
"OH MY GOD! Oh! Oh! What are you DOING????" she asked.  
  
"Lina-san. I-" The Lina in bed with Nahga said.. (obviously Lana)  
  
"DON'T YOU GIVE ME ANY EXCUSES! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY MAKING ME LOOK BAD LIKE THIS???" Lina screeched. Lana cowered.  
  
"Miss Lina, I just.." she started, but Zelgadis interrupted.  
  
"Wait, just wait a sec.. Now, we know that this person is the exact double of Lina, ne?" everyone but Gourry nodded, "Then that means, that this is something Lina. OUR Lina, would never do." He said, nodding. Lina sighed with relief.  
  
"Yes." She said. Amelia came up behind Lina,  
  
"What's all the fuss.. WHAT IN THE-" She said, then she fainted. Lina sweatdropped. Gourry scratched his head.  
  
"I don't know what's going on around here, why was that Lana person in bed with that Gracia person?" he asked. Silphiel smiled, and whispered in his ear. Gourry brightened, "OH!" he shouted. Lina sweatdropped.  
  
"Don't tell me you get off on that thing, Gourry." she said. Gourry frowned, then shook his head.  
  
"No no no no! Wait, maybe." He said. Lina hit him over the head with her sweatdrop. Zel was smiling smugly.  
  
"Sooo, Lina." He said, "Not so hot to help out these poor copies now, are you?" he said. She growled.  
  
"Look, Zel. I've seen true horror tonight, I don't need any of your remarks. It's bad enough to meet up with these shadow persons and Nahga, but now I have to live with this vision burned into my retinas for the rest of my life! I really don't need to be reminded of this ever again, and I REALLY don't want to hurt you when you do." Zel frowned.  
  
"Hey, how do you think I feel? I had to see this vision as well, but whereas you knew it wasn't you, I couldn't really tell that, now could I?" Lina frowned.  
  
"What do you mean by-" she stopped, her eyes widened, and she blushed. Then she got angry again, "You mean you thought that I-?" She started. Zel quietly omitted from saying anything at all. Just then, Nahga, the aforementioned white serpent called,  
  
"What's all the fuss, here?" She glanced in the room, at the shadow- twins, still nearly naked (aside from the blanket covering them) still holding each other, now eyes open in unknowing fright. Her eyes snapped quickly around to the unconscious Amelia, the still staring Gourry, the angrily quiet Silphiel, the smartly quiet Zelgadis, and Lina. When she saw Lina, she backed away, hands up.  
  
"Relax, Nahga." Lina said, glancing at Zel in volatile anger. She pushed him, growling, and he rolled his eyes innocently upward, "You have to know that I'm the real Lina." She said, still glancing angrily at Zel, who was still looking up innocently. Nahga shrugged, her giant breasts bouncing, and drawing Gourry's attention there.  
  
"Really, Lina, I could care less what your preferences are, just so long as they don't include me!" she said, "But, if you were that way, how could they not?" she asked. Lina's eyes were afire.  
  
"Nahga.." She warned.  
  
"But, Lina, I have a hard time believing that you aren't, anyway, you have all these guys around, and, well.." she trailed off, as Lina mumbled under her breath. Gourry, Silphiel, and Zel backed up.  
  
"DRAGON SLAVE!!!" Lina called. Nahga's eyes widened, and she screamed VERY loudly.  
  
In the crater where the inn USED to be.  
  
"Lina-san." Lana called.  
  
"Don't even talk to me.." Lina said. Gracia just cowered. Luckily, Lana and Gracia had their clothes near them, and were now fully dressed. Amelia was saved by the fact that Lina was standing right next to her unconscious body when she fired the Dragon Slave, but Nahga wasn't so lucky.  
  
"Lina.." She murmured, her blackened body twitching. Lina clapped her hands together.  
  
"Well, maybe you shouldn't have said that about me, you- you- OHHHH!" Lina growled, her fists clenched. Zel grinned, but didn't dare to comment, even though a dragon slave probably wouldn't have killed him. He preferred not to die a slower, more painful death, at the hands of Lina herself, who would doubtless tear the very stones from his flesh. He shuddered at that thought, and again at the thought of Lana and Gracia, he forced himself to think those names or doubtless he would throw up, in bed together. Silphiel rose to her legs, brushing ash and debris off of her maidenly clothes.  
  
"Gourry dear?" she said, searching. He was standing in the same spot he was when he got on the scene, still staring blankly at where Nahga used to be. Silphiel frowned, "Gourry, dear?" she said. He shook his head.  
  
"Nani?" he asked, "What happened here?" he said, looking at the ruins around him. Lina smacked her forehead with one hand.  
  
"If you weren't so busy getting your jollies off our various female companions, you would know!" she shouted angrily. A head popped out of the smoldering wreckage.  
  
"My- my- my inn!" the irate owner shouted. Lina sweatdropped.  
  
"I would have to say now is a good time to leave." She remarked, taking off at full speed. Zel looked over at Gourry, who was leaning over to pick up Amelia, they both nodded, and they bolted. Nahga jumped up, growled, and ran after them shouting,  
  
"You'll never live this down!" after Lina. The innkeeper stood there, dumbfounded. Lana and Gracia walked up to him, helping him out of the wreckage and smiling sweetly.  
  
"Are you all right, sir?" they asked him. He nodded.  
  
"Who- who was that?" he asked.  
  
"Miss Lina Inverse." Gracia answered gravely. The innkeeper fainted. Lana dropped him, and looked at Gracia. They clung to each other, crying. Nahga popped back,  
  
"You two come on, I've got no time to wait for imitations!" she said, and grabbed Lana by the hand, dragging her and Gracia along. The innkeeper was later found by some passing merchants, babbling,  
  
"Bandit killer, Dragon Spooker, One who leaves chaos and destruction in her wake, spawn of chaos, Lina Inverse!" 


	3. Chapter 3: Crap! There always has to be ...

Chapter 3: Crap! There has to be a morning after. unfortunately.  
  
Gourry, Silphiel, Zel, and to some extent Amelia, stayed far far away from Lina as they traveled that next day. Amelia, only to some extent, because she was still unconscious and being carried by Gourry, and if she were awake, doubtless she would attempt to cheer Lina up. Which is why they were glad she was still asleep. Gourry frowned at Zel.  
  
"So, why's Lina so upset?" he asked. Zel sighed.  
  
"Wouldn't you be upset if you saw yourself in bed with another guy?" he asked. Gourry pondered that for a moment, nodded, shrugged, and kept walking, Amelia in his arms. Silphiel smiled sweetly. Suddenly, a noise from behind them alerted them. Lina growled.  
  
"LOOK, If there's anyone out there, I'm in a REALLY bad mood, so don't come any closer!" she shouted. The sound got closer, "I'm warning you!" she shouted. The sound came closer still, "Oh, that's it, FIRE-BALL!" she shouted, and the reddish fireball blazed through the trees, clearing the way to reveal. Xelloss? Zel growled.  
  
"YOU!" he shouted. Xelloss smiled, and floated by them, hovering near the tops of the trees.  
  
"Why, yes, It is me! How did you ever guess, Zelgadis?" he said smugly. Zel stared at him suspiciously.  
  
"Xelloss, what do you want?" Lina asked. Xelloss shrugged.  
  
"Oh, do I have to want something? What if I just wanted to see how my favorite sorceress and her motley crew were doing?" he said innocently. Lina rolled her eyes.  
  
"Please, Xelloss." She said. Silphiel frowned.  
  
"Miss Lina," she said, "who is this Mazoku? Do you know him, are you in league with him?" Lina sighed.  
  
"Don't worry, Silphiel, he's just a friend of ours, I suppose." She said.  
  
"He was there, when Phibrizzo was killed, remember?" Zel said. Silphiel thought, then nodded. Gourry set Amelia down on the ground.  
  
"So, Xelloss, what are you up to?" he asked companionably, sitting cross-legged on a stone. Everyone sweatdropped. Suddenly, Amelia sat up.  
  
"What is going on?" she murmured. Her eyes widened, "Miss Lina! I had the strangest dream!" she shouted.  
  
"Look, Amelia, I really don't want to have to explain that, here." She said. Amelia looked around.  
  
"You mean it wasn't a dream? Oh, hello, Xelloss-san." She said to Xelloss, who waved. Then she turned back to him, "Xelloss-san?" she asked, jerking a finger towards him. The rest nodded. Just then,  
  
"At last I have caught up with you, Lina, you won't escape me now!" Nahga called. Behind her was Lana and Gracia. Lina smacked her forehead and growled.  
  
"Great, just great, now we have to pull the rest of them. I knew we shouldn't have stopped, they've caught up to us!" she shouted. She whirled to face Xelloss, who was, needless to say, a little confused. Though most of the time he knew more than they did, he was clueless about the appearance of these twins. Of course, being Xelloss, you couldn't see all this on his face. He was cool, calm, and collected. He smiled.  
  
"Uh!" he said, brightly. Lina growled.  
  
"I'm assuming you know what's going on Xelloss, and I'm even thinking that maybe you facilitated all this.." she said. Xelloss smiled.  
  
"That's a secret, but I know I didn't set this one up." He said, shrugging. It was no secret to Xelloss that these twins were the exact opposite of the originals. He smiled, sincerely this time.  
  
"Ah, The shadow reflector." He said under his breath. He studied the twins. He warped away from the real Lina, to Lana. He reached forward in his Xelloss way, and Lana flinched. He put his fingers on her chin, then abruptly pulled back, cradling his hand. Lina frowned.  
  
"What's the matter, Xelloss?" she asked. Xelloss' mask was momentarily gone, as he cradled his hand in open confusion. Gourry scratched his head.  
  
"It hurts you to touch Lana?" he asked. Xelloss looked up, noticed the stares, and regained his composure.  
  
"No, Gourry." He said shortly. Lina raised an eyebrow. She glanced at Zel.  
  
"What could be the big deal?" she asked him. He shrugged. She walked up to Lana, "Give me your hand." She ordered. With wide eyes, Lana stretched her hand out. Lina's eyes widened.  
  
"White magic!" she shouted, very loudly, dropping the hand, "White magic?" she said, "But the shadow reflector was said to give,"  
  
"The exact power of the original." Zel finished, "Not the exact kind of power." Lina frowned.  
  
"So, that means, that my copy, has.." she trailed off.  
  
"The exact amount of Lina's power, in white magic!" Xelloss cried, slamming his fist into one hand. He winced.  
  
"But what about MY shadow twin, she had to have been given some power along with her good looks!" Nahga shouted. Xelloss glanced over to Nahga. Lina sweatdropped.  
  
"Xelloss, this is-"  
  
"We've met." Xelloss interrupted. Lina did a double take.  
  
"Met? But-" Nahga laughed.  
  
"OH-HO HO HO HO! You are that man who came after me! I remember you! The one who asked me if I knew Lina Inverse!" She smiled, then jerked her thumb at Xelloss, "I told him I didn't know where you were, then I left, he looked like too much of a fruitcake for me to bother with." She said. Lina nodded.  
  
"That's true." She remarked. Xelloss facefaulted. Then he smiled again.  
  
"Well, I have to be off for now, see you!" he said brightly. Lina looked to the space where he used to be.  
  
"Hey! Come back, help me!" she screamed. But he was already gone, into the astral plane. As he blasted the rest of the way to his mistress' mansion, he thought.  
  
*That much white magic, must mean protection from a Dragon Lord, but it's too much for that. And, she's the opposite of Lina, so that means.* he paused, confused. He hovered in the astral plane for a moment.  
  
"That means, that Shadow Lina must be protected by the same amount of power, but with white magic. But there are no White magic Lords above Cepheid! And Both the monster and dragon races stem from LON. So that means." His eyes lit up, "That means that both of them are protected by LON! But how could it be white magic, rather than the mother of all things' special brand of black?" Xelloss decided that this was something better pondered in company, and went back to his mistress' mansion, with more news of the golden knight.  
  
"Well, what about my twin?" Nahga shouted, "I bet she has hidden power as well!" Nahga finished, crossing her arms like a spoiled child.  
  
"Well, it all depends, onee-sama. What kind of magic do you specialize in?" Amelia asked. Nahga's face went blank.  
  
"Well, I kind of don't. But, I can make golems!" she said. Lina rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, maybe her shadow double can make them decently." She said. They all turned to Gracia.  
  
"Do you know what your magical abilities are?" Amelia asked her sweetly. Gracia looked back at them with wide eyes.  
  
"Yes." She said softly. She closed her eyes in concentration, "Creatures of another plane, of another force, of another frame, come forward to our world, Power of another place, Light of another life, allow this transference. Divine Summon!" She shouted. A bright portal opened, and something stepped out. It blinked at the creatures in front of it, and smiled.  
  
"Ohayo!" it said sweetly. Lina stared.  
  
"It's a fairy!" Zel shouted. Lina frowned at him.  
  
"Well, obviously!" she shouted. The fairy was little longer than Lina's face, and slender. Its wings were large and dragon-fly like. Its hair was long and silver, and it was wearing a long twisting dress. It flew over to Gracia, and smiled at her.  
  
"You summoned me to this world?" she asked. Gracia nodded. The fairy smiled, "Arigatou!" it said, jumping into flight, and disappearing from view. Lina blinked at where it had been, and then turned to stare at Gracia. She blushed.  
  
"Please, minna, don't look at me." she said shyly. Lina turned to Zel.  
  
"You ever heard that spell before?" she asked. Zel shook his head.  
  
"No, I think maybe she made it up herself." He said. Amelia frowned.  
  
"How is summoning the exact opposite of golem-making?" she asked. Lina pondered that one for a moment.  
  
"Well, it seems like maybe she can summon kawaii things like fairies, and such, and golems are anything but kawaii, especially when Nahga makes them, so, bringing things to life is very different from summoning them. I can see how that would be the exact opposite." Lina finished. Zel shrugged.  
  
"Well, whatever this means, I think we've made a breakthrough today." He said, "We know the magic of the copies, and we know how to get rid of Xelloss!" he said. Lina looked at him.  
  
"How's that?" she asked.  
  
"Make him touch your clone." Zel stated. Lina growled.  
  
"Now look here!" she said. Zel smiled. Gracia and Lana looked at each other, and smiled. If only for a while, they were accepted into this odd group. 


	4. Chapter 4: Damn! We can't run faster tha...

Chapter 4: Damn! We can't run faster than Nahga.  
  
"Lina, she's catching up!" Gourry called, breathing heavily. Lina growled,  
  
"I know that!" she said. She turned to Zel, "Can't you run any faster?" she asked. Zel blinked.  
  
"Yes, but I'd just leave you guys behind. I can't carry all of you." He said. Lina blinked,  
  
"Oh, yeah, demon speed and all." Lina remembered. She glanced at him, smiling evilly, "Carry us, huh?" she said, an evil gleam in her eye. Zel sweatdropped.  
  
"Damn, here it comes." He said. Lina sidled up to him, putting her cutest face on.  
  
"Zel? Could you please please carry me up to about a mile away from Nahga? You can come back and get the others if you want!" she said. The shadow twins had been running fitfully, Silphiel cheering them on, having made fast friends with her once she realized they weren't after her dear Gourry.  
  
"Come on girls, lift up those legs, I know you can do it!" she said encouragingly. The shadow twins were puffing, but getting along, even though they were the main reason Nahga was keeping up. Zel glanced at them, arms still pumping, and sighed. Amelia was running at the very back of the mass, trying to make a decision between her sister and her friends.  
  
"Fine.." he mumbled. Then he blushed fiercely as Lina jumped into his arms. He growled, built up speed, and ran about a mile up the road, setting Lina down, "Keep running.." he said to her, then ran back to get the rest.  
  
About a half an hour later..  
  
Zel puffed and moaned. How did he let himself be talked into this? There was only two left, Gourry and Amelia. Nahga was a little mad, after all, they had gone to incredible lengths to be free of her, and she wasn't even being carried! By the way, when Nahga gets mad, she unknowingly insults people.. a lot.  
  
"Hey, Golem!" she shouted. She hadn't bothered to learn Zel's name, and, needless to say, that irritates him a lot. Zel wasn't in a big hurry to carry Gourry or Amelia a mile up the road, so he turned.  
  
"My name is Zelgadis." He said through gritted teeth. Nahga made a dismissive gesture.  
  
"Whatever." She said, "I just wanted to know if you were born with that face or if someone made it." She said, smiling. Zel growled. He repressed the urge to break her neck, because she was Amelia's sister. Amelia saw that look in his eye and giggled nervously.  
  
"Mr. Zelgadis, um, how about we all make up, we don't need to fight.." she said. Zel glanced at her, a vague smile crossing his lips.  
  
"The thought hadn't even crossed my mind." He said. Nahga nodded.  
  
"I don't doubt it, you can't be very mobile with all those stones across your face." She said. Zel whirled to a halt, amazing Nahga to a stop. She crossed her arms. If Nahga had been paying any attention at all to the past few hours, she would have noticed his incredible speed and agility, but that's what we call a selective memory.  
  
"Was that a challenge?" he asked. She shrugged.  
  
"I don't know, was it?" she said. Amelia grabbed Zel by the sleeve, and forcefully started him running again. He was just about to heft Amelia into his arms and run up, when they crested a hill, where, under a tree lay Lana, Gracia, and Silphiel. Lina was sitting cross-legged a few feet away, polishing the gems at her hands and waist.  
  
"Hey, you guys, this really isn't working.." she said, " I guess we'll just have to ditch Nahga tomorrow." Nahga smiled.  
  
"I just knew you'd come to your senses, Lina," she said, not paying any attention to what Lina had just said, "You had to be left off from them to hang out with these people." She said, gesturing at Gourry, Zel, and Silphiel in turn. Amelia stamped her foot.  
  
"Gracia! These people are my friends!" she shouted. Nahga turned to her.  
  
"I know, dear little sister, I wasn't criticizing your choice of friends, I was criticizing Lina's choice of traveling companions." Amelia blinked, put one hand to her mouth, and shrugged. That Seyruun family logic is sure screwed. Zel had had just about enough of this Nahga the serpent person.  
  
"You are getting on my last nerve," he said in measured tones. Nahga glanced at him.  
  
"Is there room for nerves in your stone body?" she said. Lina's eyes widened.  
  
"Ooooo." she said softly, "Disss."  
  
"Zel, are you gonna just take that from her?" Gourry asked. Zel's eyes narrowed.  
  
"You, you egomaniacal hoar!" he said. Nahga stood straight up.  
  
"Excuse me, you stone bodied freak!" she said. Amelia gasped.  
  
"Gracia!" she said loudly. Zel was so angry. He drew his sword.  
  
"Ah, playing tough, are we?" Nahga asked. She lifted a hand, "FREEZE ARROW" Zel countered swiftly with a,  
  
"BURST RONDO!" Suddenly, both the attacks were deflected. When the smoke cleared, there was a shield around Zel held up by Lina, and a shield around Nahga held up by Amelia. Amelia dropped her shield.  
  
"Mr. Zelgadis, that's my sister!" she shouted. Zel glared at Nahga, then turned, throwing out his cape angrily. Lina looked after him.  
  
"Zel." she said. He glanced at her with one eye. Gourry blinked.  
  
"Am I out of the loop or something?" he asked. Silphiel sighed.  
  
"It's okay, Gourry-chan, you don't have to know everything." Gourry got up, and ran over to Zel, walking backwards to face him.  
  
"What's the matter, Zel?" he asked.  
  
"Gourry!" Zel sputtered, "Oh, you're so oblivious!" he said. Gourry nodded.  
  
"Well, yeah, usually." He said, "But I was paying attention to all those things that woman said." He said. Zel turned to him,  
  
"And." he prompted.  
  
"They were pretty hurtful, and unnecessary." He said. Zel nodded, growling softly.  
  
"So, what do you propose I do about it, I can't just let her insult me like that!" he said. Gourry scratched his head. He brightened, holding up one finger.  
  
"You could challenge her to a duel, for honor. A, non-injuring duel?" he said. Zel sighed.  
  
"You mean a conditional battle." He said. He nodded, thinking about it, "Yeah, that could work.." they walked for a few moments in silence. Gourry scratched his head with one finger.  
  
"Don't you think we should go back?" he asked.  
  
"No, after a while, with both of us gone, they'll catch up. Probably at the least opportune time. In the meantime, I don't want to have to be near that Serpent person any longer." He said. Gourry nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean, she's kinda creepy." He said, "All that bounce." he drifted off. Zel nodded. He laughed softly.  
  
"Hey, maybe there was a mixup and she got Lina's breasts, too!" he laughed. Gourry laughed.  
  
"Excuse me??" said a voice right at Zel's ear. Well, he had incredible hearing, so she was about three feet away from him. He turned. Lina stood there, giving him the "The evil have no rights." Look, that he saw so much when they were crisping bandits, "Fire-BALL!" she shouted. The fireball engulfed both of them. Zel breathed out a puff of smoke, and they both collapsed. Lina strode next to them.  
  
"And here I was coming to comfort Zel after Nahga exploited his weakest points, and I find that while I'm gone, HE'S exploiting MY weakest points. You dumb asses deserved that." She said. They didn't make any denials. Of course, that could be because their flesh was still sizzling, but that didn't really make any mind to Lina, she had already forgiven them.  
  
Later that day..  
  
"Nahga the. White Serpent. I challenge you!" Zel said. Nahga sneered.  
  
"All right." She said.  
  
"To a conditional battle.." Lina reminded them both, "The conditions are, no killing, no magic, and no sword fighting." Zel's face fell.  
  
"What, hand to hand? That would be all to easy for me!" he said. Lina nodded.  
  
"I know, that's why Nahga gets to pick the means of battle." She said. Zel sighed. Nahga considered for a moment, then brightened.  
  
"I know exactly what the contest will be!" she said brightly. Zel nodded.  
  
"Good, then out with it." He said. Nahga gave him a sidelong glance.  
  
"Zegladis, I challenge you to a drinking contest!" Lina gasped, but Zel gave her a disbelieving look.  
  
"A drinking contest?" he said in shock. Lina shook her head.  
  
"No, drop out right now, Zel!" she said, "You'll never win!"  
  
"To the floor!" Nahga shouted, "First to the floor loses!" she said. Zel gave Lina a sidelong glance.  
  
"Lina, alcohol affects me much slower than it does a normal human.." he murmured, "This will be a snap!" Lina shook her head.  
  
"No, Zel, you don't understand! She doesn't drink alcohol, she absorbs it! I've seen her drink an entire keg in thirty minutes!" she said. Zel scoffed.  
  
"I'm waiting." Nahga said. Zel grinned.  
  
"I accept your offer, and may I assure you, the best man will win!" he said. Poor Zel, what have you stupidly gotten yourself into? 


	5. Chapter 5: Euphony! One tequila, two teq...

Chapter 5: Euphony! One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, Floor.  
  
"I'm getting sooo sick of this.." Lina mumbled. She glanced at Gourry, who was coaching Zel for some odd odd reason, and they were both giving Nahga evil looks. Amelia, who was walking next to Lina, nodded.  
  
"I know what you mean, Miss Lina," she said, "My love hates my sister. It's tragic." Lina sweatdropped.  
  
"Right, Amelia." She said. Amelia blinked at her, a little confused, then she turned back ahead. She smiled.  
  
"Look, Miss Lina, an Inn!" she shouted. Lina turned to it with mixed feelings, until she noticed the sign hung above the door. 'Featuring Karaoke!' Lina blinked.  
  
"Miss Lina.." said Lana, "What's Karaoke?" Lina growled.  
  
"Karaoke is a type of magic that people have been working on for years, with mixed results. It is supposed to make you sound better than you actually are while singing, and running the words of the song before you, so you can read them. The best ones had magical costumes, and the one who does the best gets a special prize." Lina said. Lana nodded. Gracia shivered.  
  
"Up in front of all those people. I can't do it!" she said. Lina sweatdropped.  
  
"We weren't expecting you to." She said. Meanwhile, Zel, Gourry, and Nahga had noticed the bar, and were running for it. Lina, Amelia, Lana, Gracia, and Silphiel ran after them.  
  
When they reached the bar, it was empty but for an old guy washing the bar. Lina walked up to the counter.  
  
"Hey, how's business?" she said, having a certain camaraderie with a businessman like himself. (she does, ok, she just never shows it!) he sighed,  
  
"Not good. It seems that my dream of owning a Karaoke bar went out with disco.." Lina blinked.  
  
"Disco?" she said. He shook his head.  
  
"Nevermind, um, we've got tons of popular songs in there, so have fun." He said.  
  
"Hey, do you have liquor?" Nahga shouted. The guy nodded.  
  
"What's your pleasure?" he said.  
  
"Anything alcoholic!" Zel shouted. The man shrugged, then brought out a couple of the house special.  
  
"It's called the Giga Slave." He said. Lina raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Giga Slave?" she said. He nodded.  
  
"A special chaotic blend." He said proudly. Lina hmphed, and ordered ten platters of chicken. The guy's eyes widened, and by the time Gourry had ordered, he realized that this would make up for maybe three months of no one visiting. He was also glad that he kept his stocks high. He went off, whistling a little song. Lina blinked.  
  
"What's that song, it sounds awful familiar.." she said. He smiled.  
  
"It's a pretty rare one, I have it in the machine, but you need two people to sing it, it's a duet. If you can get someone else." he said. Amelia jumped up.  
  
"I'd love to!" she said.  
  
"All right, I'll set it up, the costumes should be in the closet." They went over to the closet. Meanwhile, Gourry and Zel were eyeing the fizzing concoction warily.  
  
"What do you think's in it?" Gourry asked Zel. Zel shrugged.  
  
"I dunno, nitrogen, maybe a little poison.." he said Nahga laughed. Urg.  
  
"OH-HOHOHOHO! You wussy men!" she said, picking up her glass and downing it in one gulp. Zel growled. He picked up the glass, despite the protests of Gourry, who thought it was pretty, and chugged. He set it down with a triumphant look on his face, and a taste like cough syrup in his mouth.  
  
"Well." Gourry said. Zel shrugged.  
  
"It was ok." He said. The bartender noticed that they were already finished, smiled, and went off to mix up another batch. Meanwhile, in the changing rooms.  
  
"Miss Lina, these outfits are awfully familiar.." Amelia said. Lina grunted.  
  
"Well, are you ready?" she said. Amelia stepped out and nodded. Lina stepped out and gasped.  
  
"What is it, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked. She then saw Lina's outfit. She gasped too. The curtain raised, and the music began. The entire bar was subjected to the sight of Lina, and Amelia in matching pink and blue fukus. The words flitted across the screen.  
  
"Girls who are in love, give their love to you, you, who shine so bright my darrling!" Lina and Amelia sang. Zel, Gourry, Silphiel, Nahga, Gracia, and Lana gaped.  
  
"Shining Rouge!" Lina sang.  
  
"Pink like Peaches!" Amelia sang.  
  
"I pray, that it reaches you, this maiden's prayer!" They both sang, "Floating in the night sky like a silver boat, the beautiful moon reflects my tears of love and haate!" Gourry blinked, and turned to Zel.  
  
"I didn't think it was THAT strong." Zel mumbled. Gourry shook his head,  
  
"No, I see it too." He said. Lina frowned, but the magic forced them to sing once they chose the song.  
  
"My heart's beating so fast inside my little breast, anddon'tyousayawordGourry!" She burst out at the end of the line. Gourry blinked innocently.  
  
"My heart's flying, flying to you, oh please will it reach you, heart's flying, flying to you, I'm completely yours, pretty little me!!!" they both sang. Nahga laughed.  
  
"OH-HOHOHOHO! Pretty!" she said in total mirth. Lina growled.  
  
"Girls who are in love, give their love to you, you who shine so bright my darrling!" they sang quickly,  
  
"Intoxicating cologne," Lina sang.  
  
"A flickering dream!" Amelia sang.  
  
"The blue parasol I carry!" Lina sang.  
  
"I pray that my prayer will come true! Floating in the night sky like a silver boat, the moon reflects my tears of love and hate! My heart's beating so fast inside my little breast! My heart's flying, flying to you! Oh, please will it reach you! This maiden's prayer! A kiss thrown out is like a boomerang! A one way ticket boomerang!"  
  
"I'm yours completely, pretty little me!" Amelia sang.  
  
"My feelings for you are flying high on a white pegasus!" Lina sang.  
  
"Oh, I hope they reach you! The final pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of love!!!!" They both sang. The song ended. Lana, Gracia, and Silphiel clapped, but Gourry, Zel, and Nahga just laughed hysterically. Lina growled.  
  
"Do you guys remember what happened last time we sang that song?" Gourry and Zel nodded, "You want it to happen again?" they shook their heads, "Good." Lina said. The barkeep brought them another round. This time it was a sickly green. Nahga downed hers, but Zel gazed at his with trepidation.  
  
"What are you waiting for Zel?" Gourry said. Zel shook his head.  
  
"I think he just puts whatever in there." Zel said. Gourry blinked.  
  
"So. Chug!" he said. Zel picked up the glass and chugged it down. This time the aftertaste was a little bit fruity.  
  
"So, what'd it taste like?" Gourry asked again. Zel made a face.  
  
"Lime." He said. He coughed. Lina and Amelia came from behind the curtain, back in their normal clothes, and overly flustered. Silphiel smiled.  
  
"I thought it was wonderful, Miss Lina, where did you learn to sing so well?" she said. Lina growled.  
  
"We've had practice." Meanwhile, the barkeep had brought Zel and Nahga another round. It was a bright red. Gourry studied it.  
  
"I don't trust that color, Zel." He said. Zel shrugged. If he was going to do this, he might as well do it right, and Nahga had already gulped hers down. He neglected to notice the fact that he was feeling a little low, whereas Nahga looked fine and dandy. He chugged this one down, and it tasted of cinnamon. Gourry was a little nervous, after all, Zel was looking a little run down by this time, but Nahga was her normal self. He stood up and walked to the counter, to talk to the barkeep.  
  
"Hey, sir, what's in those drinks?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Oh, the Giga Slaves?" the barkeep said, "A half a cup of sake, and then whatever else catches my fancy on the old shelves." He said, smiling, "Want one?" Gourry made a face.  
  
"Er, not really." He said. The barkeep nodded.  
  
"So, the karaoke machine is free, want to have a go?" he said. Gourry thought about it, and shrugged, it's not like he wanted to have to sit and watch Zel get smashed.  
  
"I guess." He said. The barkeep smiled,  
  
"Good, I've got the perfect song for you!" he said. Silphiel glanced at Gourry, as he walked into the changing rooms. The barkeep noticed.  
  
"You wanna have a go?" he said, "There's two parts!" Silphiel nodded. She rushed off into the changing room.  
  
"Gourry, dear, are you sure that we are wearing the right costumes? I don't know that I've ever seen these before." she murmured. Gourry scratched his head in the other stall.  
  
"I guess, I mean they were there, right?" he said. Silphiel sighed.  
  
"Hai, Gourry dear." She said. They stepped out and the curtain rose, and the music started.  
  
Lina and the others were treated to a visage of Gourry, in punk rock duds, chains and leather, and hair all mussed up, and really strangely shaped sunglasses. Silphiel, however, was in a purple, frill trimmed leather outfit, with spurs, and chaps, and a gigantic, mind-boggling cowboy hat. She smiled, and sang in her soft voice.  
  
"I'm a little bit country.." Gourry whipped off his sunglasses and said.  
  
"I'm a little bit rock 'n roll!" Lina screamed.  
  
"Noooooooo!! HOW DO YOU STOP THIS THING?" She frantically looked for an 'off' switch.  
  
"I'm a little bit Nashville."  
  
"With a little Motown in my soul!" Lina gave up searching for the switch and growled.  
  
"FIRE BALL!" she screamed, aiming it right for the works. The music died down very slowly. Lina breathed a sigh of relief. Gracia and Lana cowered.  
  
"Wow, Miss Lina, what was the matter with that song?" Amelia asked.  
  
"Nothing, nothing at all. I'm sure every teenybopper in the world loves it, but I'm no teenybopper!" she growled. Gourry and Silphiel walked back into the dressing room, Silphiel less than happy, but Gourry was indifferent.  
  
*Lina always has to ruin my dear Gourry and my time together.* she thought angrily. She walked out as demure and polite as ever, though. Meanwhile, the owner of the inn had brought yet another round for the contesting lushes.  
  
"Thank you, sir." Zel said, in slightly slurred tones. Nahga, of course, had to laugh.  
  
"OH-HO HO HO HO HO HO HO. HO!" she laughed, "You are already wearing down, I can tell!" she said. Zel frowned, and grabbed his glass, this time drinking it down first. He gagged.  
  
"Ew." he said at the flavor. Nahga made a face as she drank it. She slammed it down with obvious ire.  
  
"Innkeep!" she called angrily, "That was possibly the worst drink I have ever tasted!" she gagged again, as if trying to prove it. He glided over, smooth as you please, and smiled brightly at Nahga.  
  
"Now, what's the trouble?" he asked. Nahga growled  
  
"We're paying for these drinks, and you give us such horrible tasting swill that it's hard for me to swallow it!" she said, banging a fist on the table. The barkeep blinked.  
  
"You're paying for it? I just assumed by the look of you that you would dodge the bill." He said, smiling with a certain manner. Nahga growled. Lina dragged her attention from her third helping to the barkeep.  
  
"Hm." She said, thinking. Something about him irritated her, but she couldn't place it. She shrugged and went back to swallowing her food.  
  
Gourry sat down at the table after a long stint of avoiding it. He glanced at Zel, who was contemplating the strange colors swimming through his latest.. 'Giga Slave' He got down to Zel's eye level, and whispered,  
  
"You sure you don't wanna just call this off, Zel?" Zel shook his head, very slowly, lifted the glass and swallowed. His head sank back to the table. Gourry shrugged. Zel turned his head to the side to glance at Nahga, who was looking at him with an incredibly superior smirk on her face. He growled. He sat up, still staring at Nahga in the eye. He turned to the barkeep, who was washing the counter, and whistling a familiar tune.  
  
"Barkeep!" Zel barked, "Bring me five more!" he shouted. The barkeep smiled, and, still whistling his perky tune, walked over to the shelves. Lina turned to Zel, who had let his head slide back onto the table. She smiled.  
  
"Hey Zel want to get some karaoke in?" she asked, mentally adding *Before you drink yourself onto the floor.* she smiled a most convincing smile, and Zel sighed.  
  
"I s'pose it'll be while before that guy finishes my drinks." He murmured, "Fine." He said. Lina smiled, only for that fact that Zel was tanked would he ever do that. She winked,  
  
"I've got the perfect song." She said. She turned to Amelia, "But, we need five to sing it. How about. hm, Amelia, you, And Gourry, and Silphiel, yeah, that's perfect." She said. Silphiel and Gourry and Amelia all nodded. They ran into the dressing rooms, Lina dragging the semi-conscious Zel behind.  
  
Gracia yawned at Lana.  
  
"Gee, it's so late.." she said, glancing at the wall clock mounted on the.. Wall. It read 8:45. Just then, the curtain rose, and the music started. A jumpy, slightly Chinese beat. The lights hit them, and it was Lina in a school type fuku. She smiled as the lights hit her. Next to her was Silphiel in a black business woman type suit. Next was Gourry, in an impossibly frilly dress and an apron. He blushed onstage. Next to him was Amelia, in a Chinese type dress. Rounding out the crew was Zel, still looking semi-conscious in a loose red shirt with frog buttons, and a pair of loose black pants. Lina stepped forward.  
  
"You may touch me in dreams, but they don't stay!" she sang with a smile,  
  
"Today you don't have much to say!" the rest sang.  
  
"How am I gonna face the light of day?" she sang in mock sadness.  
  
"What have I done now?" the others said, putting their fingers to their cheeks cutely. Silphiel stepped forward, smiling, and singing in her breathless voice.  
  
"Things that we leave unspoken, thinking it's for the best. Then I look into your eyes, it gets tight in my chest!" She said with a smile, glancing at Gourry. Gourry stepped forward, and sang in an impossibly good voice,  
  
"Here the river, tells of our goodbye." He growled.  
  
"It's late, and they don't wait for me!" the others sang.  
  
"Sayonara, whispers on the breeze."  
  
"I'll get in trouble!" the others sang. Amelia stepped up, genki as usual.  
  
"Let me know what's in your heart, that's a good place to start! All I need is a small sign, and I'll give my heart to you!" she sang. Then all but Zel stepped up.  
  
"You and me have still got, so much we need to say! Friends is not enough, why can't we seize the day?" Then they stepped back, and Zel stepped up.  
  
"Don't you know I've got no idea, from this point on?" Then everyone stepped up.  
  
"So far to go, until we both are free!!!! YOU AND ME!!!!!" They all took a bow. Gracia, Lana, and Nahga all clapped, albeit confusedly. The Barkeep clapped the most.  
  
"WONDERFUL! Masterful, truly lovely!" he commended.  
  
They all got back into their clothes, Gourry blushing, Zel not really caring, after all, he was wearing male clothing. Besides, he was almost too loaded to care. When he got back to the table, the five different shades of drink that met him brought him crashing back to reality. He gave Nahga a competitive glance, and noticed that she had five as well, those were the rules, you know. He grabbed all five, and swallowed them all at once. Nahga's eyes widened. She took the hint and started on her own. Zel gave her a smirk, and walked up to the bar. The bartender smiled at him.  
  
"Finished already?" he questioned smugly. Zel nodded.  
  
"I think I'm on my way to victory.." he murmured. Abruptly the scene swirled.  
  
"Hm, ready for a go on the karaoke machine?" the barkeep asked with a smirk. Zel, swallowed, blinked, shook his head, and nodded, "Right, well, I have the perfect song." He said. Zel staggered up to the costume closet and put on a black tux. Then he swerved out onto the stage. The mysterious magic of the karaoke gripped him and he began to sing.  
  
"Suki datta.. Hitori sora o miage." Of course, since this is an English fic, it will be translated into English, so what he really sang was, "I used to love it...looking up at the sky alone." He blinked, and held the mic like a lifeline, "in the middle of the night, reminiscing. I was young...more stubborn than anyone, and iced over with pride. Something about me was strange. When I close my eyes, I can see that person I used to be who kept his heart so closed fading away into the distance." He suddenly became overcome with emotion, and started to cry, of course his sobs not interfering with his singing. Lina raised her eyebrow. Nahga smiled in victory. Amelia blinked wide eyed. Gracia and Lana also blinked wide eyed. Gourry smacked his forehead with a palm.  
  
"I was so lonely, but now, I have so many friends here that never make fun of me, or even have to force a smile. Ahh, dear friends forever." His eyes misted, and he smiled, "I would laugh at things like friendship, dreams and beauty...and when we would meet in a casual encounter I'd keep refusing to come with you. That's just the way I used to be." He belted out another line. Lina debated with herself, whether or not to send another fireball into the works. Then she remembered that she had already sent a fireball into the works! She stood up and looked at the barkeep, who was smiling with an infuriating expression on his face. She pointed one finger at him in surprise.  
  
"You-" she said. He put one finger to his lips.  
  
"In this cold unmoving body, I feel my heart becoming warmer. Does this feeling mean someone's becoming precious to me?" Zel looked straight at Lina with that last line. She sweatdropped.  
  
*Oh, crap.* she thought.  
  
"I believe your everything, from now on. Since you can live so carefree with me, who can't even say a simple thing like 'thank you'...friends like that are not bad at all. Ahh, dear friends forever." He clasped his hands together. Gracia and Lana smiled, and made goo goo eyes at each other.  
  
"Never say goodbye to my friends Because I'll make our dreams come true. This is the real me, dear friends forever. You who snapped me out of it, dear my friends forever." He sang, as Lina and Gourry glanced at each other. As the music faded, Zel slumped to the floor. When the curtain fell, it fell onto his head, and he lay there, softly snoring. Lina and Amelia sweatdropped. Nahga grinned.  
  
"I win!" she shouted. She marched triumphantly up to the bar for another round, "My treat, everyone!" she shouted happily. Gourry, Amelia, and Lina exchanged glances. They all shook their heads and held up hands. Gracia shook her head.  
  
"No, I never drink." She said. Lina sweatdropped.  
  
"Exact opposite of Nahga, you bet." She said. Lana shook her head as well, so it looked like Nahga was sharing a victory round with herself. Lina glanced at the still softly snoring Zel, a nose bubble expanding and shrinking. She motioned to Gourry.  
  
"Get him up to a room." she said. Gourry nodded, and walked up to the stage, throwing the limp Zel over his shoulder. Lina growled, and stalked up to the innkeeper.  
  
"You stinking fruitcake." She said. The innkeeper smiled, and transformed into Xelloss.  
  
"How did you ever guess, Lina-chan?" he said, smiling. She glanced at him sideways.  
  
"That song you were whistling." She said.  
  
"Oh." He said, and began singing, "Minna, shalalalalala sorezore, tabi o tsuzukeru." She nodded.  
  
"That's enough." She said. He smiled.  
  
"Well, nighty night, Lina." He said, smiling. She glanced at the inn.  
  
"What did you do with the real innkeeper?" she asked.  
  
"That is-" he started.  
  
"A secret?" she finished.  
  
"No." he said, "Something you don't have to worry about. This place was.. well, is, abandoned. High level illusion, you know." He said. Lina nodded.  
  
"Yeah, well, I knew something was wrong." She said, "If you wanted to rejoin us, you could have just asked." She said. She glanced at the table, where Gracia and Lana were getting up to go to bed. Amelia had gone to bed when Gourry had, after all, she hadn't had the best luck with head injuries lately. Lina swore softly, as she saw Silphiel go up the stairs. He smiled.  
  
"I wanted to have a little fun with you first." He said. She frowned at him. She sighed.  
  
"All right, Xelloss, I'm going to bed, you'd better not do anything funny." She said. He acted mock offended.  
  
"Lina, me? Funny? How dare you even think such a thing, Lina!" she gave him a glance, and walked up the stairs.  
  
"Konbanwa, fruitcake." She said. Xelloss smiled.  
  
"Konbanwa, Lina-chan." He said, grinning. She gave him a withering glance, and walked up the stairs. He smiled, and giggled softly to himself, "Ah, there should be a law against having so much fun.." he murmured softly, and went back to wiping off the table, before he realized that no one was there, and warped out. 


	6. Chapter 6: Fume! Horseshoes are hung ove...

Chapter 6: Fume! Horseshoes are hung over the doorway, people are hung over the bad way.  
  
"Zel, hey Zelly-boy." Lina said softly. Zel pulled the blankets over his head. Lina giggled, "Time to get up, Zel-kun, we're gonna go." Zel moaned.  
  
"I lost didn't I?" he said. Lina nodded sadly,  
  
"Really badly, I might add. Do I have to say I told you so?" she asked. He growled, and sat up.  
  
"No." he said crossly, "You don't." He looked down at the fact that he was still wearing a now slightly crumpled tux. He blushed, "What happened?" he asked.  
  
"You don't remember?" she asked, not surprised at all. He shook his head slowly. She smiled her little neko smile, "Well, let's go!" she said. He blinked,  
  
"What happened, no really!" he said, walking to the doorway.  
  
"Get dressed, and we'll be waiting outside!" she called. He bit his lip, and rubbed his aching head.  
  
Outside..  
  
"Did you sleep well, onee-sama?" Amelia asked her sister. Nahga yawned,  
  
"Hai, why wouldn't I?" she said boredly. Amelia blinked.  
  
"Well, you did drink a whole lot last night, more than even Mr. Zelgadis, and he's.." she trailed off as Zel walked out of the door of the inn, a cloud of depressed anger nearly visible above his head, "here. Oh, Hi, Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia shouted happily. Zel grunted. She stood back. The shadow twins backed away, clearing a path from Zel to the. path. Lina giggled nervously,  
  
"Right, well, looks like it's about time for us to get going!" she shouted, waving her hands in an all inclusive motion. The rest got up, and started to walk. Zel was about to employ his demon speed, after all, he really didn't want to have to hear that Nahga woman brag, *loudly* about how she beat him, and he couldn't challenge her again, it just violated his honor. Anyway, he was just about to employ his demon speed when Xelloss appeared in his path, smiling. Zel growled.  
  
"YOU! I thought we were rid of you long ago!" he shouted. Xelloss smiled, idly opening one eye.  
  
"Oh, it's not that easy to get rid of me, Zelgadis, besides, how could I miss your. misadventures with." he briefly transformed into the barkeep, "My special chaotic blend?" Zel's eyes widened, and then he growled.  
  
"You, stupid, annoying, fruitcake!!!!" He growled.  
  
"Xelloss is here?" Lina asked from behind him. Amelia smiled.  
  
"Ohayo, Xelloss-san!" she said, "When did you get here?" Xelloss made a moue.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Last night." he said, smiling at Zelgadis, "I hope you don't mind me following you.." He said.  
  
"Well actually." Said Lina, just as Zel said,  
  
"Of course we do!" just as Amelia said,  
  
"Actually, now that you mention it," just as Nahga said,  
  
"OH-HOHOHOHOHO!" just as Gourry said,  
  
"Huh?" just as Silphiel said,  
  
"Gourry, dear," and then stopped as she heard Nahga's annoying laugh. Actually, that was when everyone stopped.  
  
"SHUT UP!!" they said in unison, and she trailed off with a final..  
  
"ho.. ho... ho." Xelloss blinked.  
  
"Right, I knew you wouldn't mind!" he said, smiling. Everyone sweatdropped, except the shadow twins, they were blinking in fear at Xelloss. He smiled, and glided over to them, as everyone else plotted his demise.. mentally, of course. He could tell because he was a mazoku, "Hello, girls, how are you?" he asked. They blinked at each other, and then back at him.  
  
"Please, sir mazoku, please forgive me.." Lana said, tears in her eyes, "I didn't mean to injure you that time.. G-g-gomen nasai." she said, not looking directly at him. He smiled. It went against his grain to comfort the poor girl, but her sorrow and fear and sadness went further back than anyone else's he had ever met. He expected that she had had a horrible life to make her an object of pity to even himself. And yet. he was frightened of Lina, just a tidge.. He knew that if he did something to get on her bad side, she would kill him. He knew she had that kind of power. So, it was only natural for him to pity someone who was the exact opposite of her. He smiled, in a more sincere way than normal.  
  
"It's all right, young lady, it wasn't your fault.." he said, leaning forward to comfort her, before he remembered, and stopped himself. She shivered, and he felt a surge of pity. He stepped back. She nearly reached up and stopped him,  
  
"No, it's okay.." she said, looking down, "I'm really very sorry." She said, turning away. Xelloss blinked, and solemnly warped to where Lina stood. After a while, the others had stopped plotting his demise, and started to stare in amazement at that scene. Lina grinned,  
  
"Xelloss, I'm amazed, you're a feeling person.." she said. Xelloss' lip curled involuntarily at that. He smiled then.  
  
"Oh, no, Lina, I'm just trying to get on your shadow twin's good side." He said. He looked at his nonexistent watch, "Shouldn't we be getting a move on?" he asked. Zel and Lina exchanged glances, and sweatdropped,  
  
"I suppose.." Lina said. Zel shrugged. He blinked. His head still hurt like hell, and he still wanted to get away, but as they started walking, Lina gave him a look that said,  
  
"You're in no shape to leave now, Zelly-boy!" He groaned. Her looks always spoke volumes. They were usually right, too. He sighed, and kept walking. Gourry tried to console him.  
  
"Don't worry, Zel, It's not like you were up against. Like, her," he said, pointing to shadow Nahga, "Wait, maybe you were, I can't tell. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that no one would have won against that Nahga person." He said, nodding. Zel sweatdropped. Under those words of sympathy, he cracked a small smile.  
  
"Probably not Gourry." He admitted. Meanwhile, Lina was trying some consolation of her own. Wait, Lina, that's the wrong side!  
  
"Nahga!" she shouted, and Nahga turned, eyes wide and questioning, "You know that was dirty, what you did to Zel." She said. Nahga smiled.  
  
"Perhaps, Lina Inverse, but-" Lina interrupted her,  
  
"NO BUTS!" she shouted, "He wouldn't challenge you to an unfair fight, so you challenged him to one? That's like him asking you to-to like a sword fight or something!" she said.  
  
"Lina, obviously you don't recognize me for the shrewd businesswoman that I am! It was pure luck that I happened upon someone that would last so long! He should be thanking his lucky stars that he even got that far!" Lina gritted her teeth.  
  
"But there was no way he could win!" she shouted. Nahga crossed her arms.  
  
"That's not my problem, now is it. Your little friend lost, Lina, he lost and that's all she wrote! OH-HOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" Lina balled her hands into fists.  
  
"That may not be your problem, but this is!" she shouted, "EXPLOSION ARRAY!!" she shouted. Nahga was blasted sky-high.  
  
"Miss LINA! That's my sister!" Amelia shouted. Lina rolled up her sleeves.  
  
"You wanna join her?" she asked angrily. Amelia shook her head.  
  
"No, Miss Lina, I was just saying." Lina calmed.  
  
"All right, Amelia, for your sake, I'll try to stop.." At this point Nahga hit the ground with a sound THWOP! "Blowing up your sister." She finished. Amelia blinked, and went over to see how Nahga was. They all paused while Nahga recovered. Zel smiled, just a bit.  
  
"And you did that for me?" he asked. Lina grinned, and gave him the V for victory.  
  
"Nope, she was getting on my nerves!" she said, grinning. Gourry blinked at the charred Nahga.  
  
"But Lina, I get on your nerves all the time, and you never do that to me.." he said. She nodded.  
  
"Life is a battle of wits. I try not to attack the defenseless.." she said with a smile. Gourry nodded his head. Lina sweatdropped. Nahga recovered quickly. Meanwhile, Xelloss was still conversing with the shadow twins, as they had hidden when Nahga had started her laugh, knowing the consequences. He had naturally followed their fear.  
  
"Xelloss-san.." Gracia said, "Do you think that Miss Lina will ever do that to either of us?" she said, frightened. Lana shook.  
  
"I don't know that I can be here much longer if she will.." she said in fear. Xelloss shook his head.  
  
"No, You'll never irritate her that much.." Lana still shook. Once again Xelloss felt that irrepressible surge of pity. He cursed himself mentally.  
  
*How can you even deign to call yourself Mazoku if you feel emotions like that??* he asked himself. He hovered above the twins. He grimaced. Lina glanced at him, smiled, and shouted,  
  
"Well, looks like it's about time to go!" The rest nodded, and started walking. Xelloss growled, very very softly, and motioned to the twins that they were leaving. They got up. Meanwhile, Silphiel was glancing at Xelloss in suspicion.  
  
*That mazoku can't be up to anything good..* she thought to herself. Just about then, a battered and torn man came up to them.  
  
"Oh, please you've got to help me!" he shouted. Lina raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Déjà vu.." she said, glancing at Nahga. Nahga nodded.  
  
"What is it you need?" she asked imperiously of the man. He blinked in fear up at her.  
  
"There are. up ahead, beast men.." Nahga now raised an eyebrow, "And.. And a dragon.." he mumbled, "Help us." he said.  
  
"Are you sure you won't kill and eat us, except for the nasty bits?" she asked. Unfortunately, the man couldn't give an answer, he was unconscious.  
  
"WHAT?" Zel demanded of Nahga. Lina waved a hand.  
  
"Long story, looks like we've got some work ahead of us." She said, cracking her knuckles, and smiling.. "And maybe.." she lifted a hand, "A BIG REWARD!" everyone else sweatdropped. Silphiel looked at the man, Lana next to her.  
  
"He's badly injured, but I can heal him.." she said. Lina nodded, but then blinked.  
  
"Look!" she shouted, pointing at Lana. Her eyes were shut and her body was glowing white. She murmured something that no one could understand.  
  
". be purged from this man, in thy great holy name I forfeit my life for his! HOLY CLEANSING!" A flash lit up the surroundings, and for a moment, no one could see. When their eyes cleared, the man was glowing with white energy, and his eyes opened. He sat up, and looked around, confused.  
  
"What.. happened?" he asked. Lina blinked at him.  
  
"I.. I don't know." She said, in complete awe. Lana stood.  
  
"He was poisoned." She said in a soft voice, "By the dragon." Everyone stared at her. She blushed fiercely. The man was still bewildered. He looked around.  
  
"What's the matter with him?" he asked, pointing to a collapsed figure covered by a cape. His staff was still clenched in his hand.  
  
"XELLOSS-SAN!" Amelia shouted, putting her hand to her lips. Lana made to walk over, but stopped, and Gracia came over to comfort her. Lina walked over to Xelloss, closely followed by Silphiel.  
  
"What's the matter with him?" Lina asked. Silphiel looked at Lina.  
  
"I don't know, he's unconscious." She said. Lina bit her lip.  
  
"He's not dead, is he?" she said, "Because that's all we need now, is another dark lord pissed at us. Besides. he's our fruitcake!" she said. Silphiel shrugged.  
  
"I can't tell. He seems to be alive." She said.  
  
"Can't you feel it?" Lana asked, "I can feel it. He's alive." She said. Lina glanced back at her, smiling. Xelloss opened his eyes.  
  
"Why, Lina, I didn't know you cared.." he said weakly. Lina was leaning over his body in a.. compromised position. She quickly jumped up, blushing. Gourry and Zel walked over to see whether he was all right.  
  
"Hello all, what's the matter?" he asked, sitting up. He winced.  
  
"It seems like perhaps Xelloss has a weakness to white magic." Zel said, trying to keep a smirk off of his face. Xelloss suddenly realized what had happened.  
  
"Right. Well, you can't kill me that easily, after all, White magic doesn't kill." He said. But he was beginning to doubt. After all, he had never been caught unawares like that. The flash hadn't even been what had knocked him unconscious. It was the buildup of white magic that had preceded it. He didn't know, but maybe if he had been conscious when that buildup had reached its peak. but he couldn't think of that. He jumped up, attempting to hover, but failing. He blinked, and tried to warp out. Nothing happened. He was shocked, but affected disregard.  
  
"I suppose I need some time to recover." He said, smiling his usual Xelloss smile. Lina and Zel exchanged glances. Lina blinked.  
  
"Right, well, maybe you should stay here. We have to save these poor villagers from that horrible poisonous dragon." She said.  
  
"So we can collect the reward, right?" Zel asked. Lina nodded, and smiled.  
  
"Hell yeah!" she said, and started running. The others followed, Xelloss leaning on Gracia for support. Lana was walking worriedly beside him, trying not to touch him, while tears streamed down her face. She kept murmuring,  
  
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry." Xelloss tried to tell her it wasn't her fault, despite his better judgment. Lina blinked back at her fervently apologizing shadow-twin, wondering what kind of power she could have been given, to hurt Xelloss like that. She shook her head, and walked on. Gourry blinked. He turned to her, and yelled.  
  
"HEY!! That was a personal insult!" She sweatdropped, and kept walking. 


	7. Chapter 7: Guard! Poison is as poison do...

Chapter 7: Guard! Poison is as poison does, ne?  
  
"AHHHH!! DRAGON! IT'S A DRAGON!!!" Yelled the panicking townspeople as the giant green dragon stomped their houses flat. Lina grinned.  
  
"I have come to save you townspeople!" She said with relish. The people momentarily stopped panicking, and stared at her.  
  
"And who are you?" Townsperson One asked. Lina smiled, and jabbed a thumb into her chest.  
  
"I am Lina Inverse, beautiful genius sorceress!!" she shouted. The townspeople all exchanged glances. Then they began panicking again.  
  
"AHHHH!! LINA INVERSE! IT'S LINA INVERSE!!!" they yelled. Zel regarded it with a wry eye.  
  
"Hm," he said, "News sure does travel fast, doesn't it?" Lina growled.  
  
"Not fast enough, obviously. These people should already know that I killed the Hellmaster Phibrizzo!" She said angrily. Silphiel tapped her lightly on the shoulder.  
  
"Miss Lina, who is alive to tell them?" she asked. Lina blinked.  
  
"There was. no.. wait.. what about? Uh, never mind.. Um.but you could've, no wait." She trailed off, "Well, SOMEONE should have told them!" While Lina griped about the good news traveling slower than the bad, Gracia carefully leaned Xelloss down by a tree. He smiled in gratitude, and watched the dragon trash the town with glee. Gourry saw that glee out of the corner of his eye and blinked, scratching his head.  
  
"Oi, Lina, while you're thinking about PR, the dragon is destroying this village." He remarked. Lina glanced at him.  
  
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that." She said, smiling. The dragon was still destroying the village, as it was a dragon's wont. Lina smiled.  
  
"And try not to destroy the entire town this time.." Gourry added.  
  
"Right, or scare up something worse!" Amelia nodded. Lina growled.  
  
"Will you let me concentrate?!" she shouted. She grinned, "DILL BRAND!" she shouted, and the ground beneath the dragon exploded. It blinked. Seeing Lina's feral grin, it ran off with a dog-like whine. Zel scratched his head.  
  
"Wow, they're right, dragons do step aside in clear revulsion.." Lina attempted to elbow him in the stomach, but failed. Well, less failed, than, injured herself more than him. Nahga 'oh-hohoed'  
  
"Little girl, little breast, scares the dragon from it's nest!" she mocked. Lina growled.  
  
"DIGGER VOLT!!" she shouted. Nahga twitched, and fell to the ground. The villagers blinked at Lina, confused. She was so much more.. and. so much less than all the stories they had heard.  
  
"Um. Yay!" they shouted, a tad confused. Lina smiled,  
  
"Finally some recognition!" she said, happy. The townspeople took up the cry.  
  
"Hooray!! Hooray for Lina Inverse!" Lina smiled.  
  
"Yeah! Hooray for me!" she joined them in taking up the cry. Just then, Zel smiled.  
  
"Hooray for Lina Inverse, dra-mata!!!" he shouted. The townspeople nodded.  
  
"HOORAY FOR LINA INVERSE, DRA-MATA!!!" they chorused. Lina frowned.  
  
"Hey!" she shouted. Zel shrugged. The townspeople were now chorusing,  
  
"DRA-MA-TA, DRA-MA-TA, DRA-MA-TA" Under the helpful eye of Amelia, who had a megaphone. Gourry had pompoms.  
  
"RRRRR!!!" Lina said. She punched Gourry in the stomach as she walked by, and Amelia cowered. She left Amelia alone. Suddenly, she remembered something.  
  
"Xelloss!" she said, looking over to him. He was leaning against the tree, still, the shadow twins doing as much as they could for him, without touching him.  
  
"Ohayo, Lina-chan." He said, smiling weakly, "I would have joined the party, but I still feel a little low." He said. Then he smiled, "Dra-ma- ta!" he chorused faintly. Lina frowned, but then she smiled,  
  
"Well, it's time for us to be off!" she shouted. Xelloss nodded, and got up, Gracia doing the best she could to support him. Beneath Xelloss' always-smiling exterior, however, something horrible lurked. It wasn't the usual horrible either. His normally plotting mind was silent, dumbfounded by his newfound discovery. He had made it when Lina had cast her dill brand. He had watched in disinterest, as he had seen this same scene hundreds of times, until she did that spell. Where normally he would have followed it to its target, reading the waves that came to him, he felt nearly nothing. At that point, he had been so surprised that he nearly reverted to his natural form, except.. Except, he couldn't feel his natural form anymore, or the ability to change into it. Nearly everything was gone. He glanced at his staff. The crystal was nearly out, and when it died, so did his power.  
  
Lina glanced back at Xelloss. Something about him seemed a little forced. She leaned over to Zel.  
  
"Did you notice something, a little, oh, I don't know, strange about Xelloss?" she asked. Zel gave her a pointed glance,  
  
"Lina." he said.  
  
"More strange than usual?" she offered. He thought.  
  
"I don't know, perhaps the fact that he isn't floating upside-down and annoying us?"  
  
"Exactly!" Lina shouted, "He hasn't used his powers since the white magic episode! It's been too long for just white magic! Besides, he's a fairly high level mazoku, that shouldn't have bothered him too much!" she said, squinting. Zel shrugged. Amelia joined the conversation,  
  
"I don't know, he did seem genuinely injured when he touched your twin, Miss Lina, maybe it's the truth that he's this injured." Lina shook her head softly.  
  
"I didn't say he was lying.. I don't know, something just bothered me about that dragon." she paused, "Silphiel!" she shouted. Silphiel walked over, detaching herself from her 'Gourry-dear'  
  
"Yes, Miss Lina?" she said.  
  
"Silphiel, do you know what kind of dragon that was? It's been bothering me.." Silphiel nodded.  
  
"Well, yes, just your common green dragon. No big deal, really." She said. Lina nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"Does the common green dragon have poison?" she asked. Silphiel jumped.  
  
"Miss Lina, no they don't!" she shouted, glancing worriedly at Lana, "Do you think it was perhaps, a lie?" Lina shook her head.  
  
"No, she's the exact opposite of me, remember? I think." she stopped, "I think we have a big problem on our hands." She said. She stopped. The rest, at least, those who weren't in on the conversation, stopped. Lina blinked at Xelloss.  
  
"Xelloss. I know you know what's going on here." She said. Xelloss smiled faintly,  
  
"You always figure me out, Lina.." he paused, "Well, except for that first time.." he smiled wanly, "However, for this point in time, I do not know what's wrong." Lina turned her gaze to Lana.  
  
"I bet you do." She said. Lana cringed under the gaze. She reached out and took Gracia's hand, squeezing.  
  
"I. I do." She said faintly, "It's a magical symbiote." Lina blinked.  
  
"You don't mean-" she said. Lana nodded.  
  
"I do." She said, "This symbiosis was between the dragon and the entity which is now within Master Xelloss." Her voice gained strength as she spoke, "It is an energy-sucking entity, and it was sucking the man's energy. When I drove it out with that spell, it was meant to go into me. It was even in the spell. I forfeit my life.. But, instead, it sensed more absorbable power in Xelloss-sama. It is absorbing his mazoku powers at an alarming rate. If we do not act quickly, I believe he may die." She wept, "I do not know whether my magic will help him." Lina blinked.  
  
"I-I don't understand." She said.  
  
"Neither do I!" Gourry announced. Lina growled,  
  
"Not that! The fact that you're so intelligent and composed! When I first met you, you were a blathering, frightened, easy to sway coward!" Lina shouted. Lana smiled.  
  
"I decided that if I was to do what I wanted to do, I would have to learn not to obey my natural tendencies. Life is not easy for a magical copy." She said, glancing at Gracia, and then Xelloss, "But I wanted to help people, and I decided that if I wanted that, I could work for it." Lina blinked. Amelia smiled.  
  
"She really is the exact opposite of Miss Lina!" she said. Lina screamed.  
  
"WE KNOW THAT, DO WE HAVE TO KEEP ANNOUNCING IT AT THE MOST UNFLATTERING TIMES???" She growled. Zel sweatdropped.  
  
"But, eventually, what this all leads to.. minus the Lina freaking out stuff, is that if we don't do something soon, Xelloss will die?" He looked troubled, "I hate him, but I don't want him to die. Much." He added. Gourry blinked.  
  
"I still don't understand, what's a symbiote.. is it a sandwich? Does it have rye, or wheat?" Lina smacked him in the head, while she explained.  
  
"A symbiote is two beings who live together, helping each other, and both gaining from the relationship. It's called a symbiotic relationship!" she said, though she punctuated every syllable with a smack, so it didn't really matter whether he got it or not. Lina stopped for a moment.  
  
"Though it does kind of sound like a sandwich.." She said, at the exact same moment that Gourry said,  
  
"So everyone here shares a symbiotic relationship?" They both stepped away from each other, and everyone else stared. Well, everyone in the original Slayers plus Xelloss, anyway.  
  
"Mr. Gourry actually got something out of one of Miss Lina's lectures?" she asked. Xelloss blinked.  
  
"Lina-chan agreed with one of Gourry's observations?" he asked. Silphiel blinked,  
  
"Very nice, Gourry dear!" she said, smiling. Zel kept his mouth shut, but he wondered. Lina whistled.  
  
"ANYWAY." she shouted, "We have to do something!" she said, hands on hips. Xelloss nodded.  
  
"And fast. Zelgadis is correct, if she's right, in a matter of time, I will die, but, if I don't get cured quite soon, something worse will happen." He said.  
  
"What?" Amelia asked. Xelloss shuddered.  
  
"I'll become human.." he said. The rest didn't know how to take that one, so they made busy trying to figure out what to do. Lina dug a book entitled 'THE BIG OL' BOOK OF MAZOKU OBSERVATIONS, BY.' Well, all the authors had died terrible terrible deaths so it didn't really matter who it was by, and paged through it, pulling Lana in to talk to her. Not too close, though. Amelia spoke with her sister(s) on what they could do, Gourry found a pretty butterfly, and scampered off to catch it, moment of clarity forgotten, and Silphiel following not far behind. That left Zel to unwillingly keep the infirmed company. He stood there, uncomfortably, shifting his weight from leg to leg.  
  
"Hello Zelgadis." Xelloss said, in his normal tone of voice, "I heard what you said about not wanting me to die." He said, a smile on his face. Zel growled.  
  
"I then added, much." He said. Xelloss nodded,  
  
"I think it was very sweet." He said. Zel growled again,  
  
"Whatever." He said. Xelloss smiled a secretive little smile. A smile that hid his utter panic from outsiders. The anger that Zelgadis felt now was like it was at the end of a long tunnel to Xelloss. Cut off from that, he would surely die. It wouldn't be a pretty death. His lips set in his tight grin, he turned again to Zelgadis,  
  
"Thank you for caring so much Zelgadis. I knew Amelia had to be right. Our friendship is eternal." He said, marking the spout of anger. This would be a long day for them both. Of course, not that Xelloss didn't enjoy this, at least a little. 


	8. Chapter 8: Hey! He can't die, we like hi...

Chapter 8: Hey! He can't die, we like him, sort of.  
  
Amelia blinked at her sister, biting her lip.  
  
"Are you sure you can't do anything, Gra- Nahga, I mean?" Nahga shook her head.  
  
"I told you, I specialize in shamanistic, not white." She tossed her head, "Besides, I'm sorry, but I don't know why you're helping this character. He follows you around, annoys you, doesn't help you at all, most especially when you need it, and he seems like a jerk to boot." Amelia blinked at her.  
  
"Well, yes, all that is true, but.." Amelia thought. She blinked. She turned to Lina, who was still poring over her BIG OL' BOOK, "Hey Miss Lina. Why are we helping Xelloss?" she asked. Lina looked up from her book.  
  
"Mmm? Oh, I don't know. Because he would do the same to us, if it happened to be advantageous to him." She said. Amelia thought about that..  
  
"Oh? You're probably right." she said, "Finding anything?" She asked. Lina blinked, and whapped the book with the back of her hand.  
  
"No." she said flatly, "Right when it gets to the good part, the part that might actually help us.. They switch authors on me!" She said, pounding the big ol' book in exasperation. Amelia sweatdropped.  
  
"Miss Lina, I would have more respect for the dead if I were you.. You haven't had the best luck with ghosts." she murmured. Lina's eyes widened, she growled, blushed, and then buried her face in the book. Gourry was standing out in a flower-filled field, and sniffing the fresh, crisp air. Silphiel blinked up at him.  
  
"Gourry-sama.. What are you thinking about?" she asked. He looked down at her, eyes wide in the 'Gourry Huh' position. He smiled.  
  
"I don't know. How nice it is today. How cool the breeze is.. How there are fifty bandits coming this way.." Silphiel facefaulted.  
  
"Nan da?" she said. Gourry looked across the field, where a bunch of very not nice-looking fellows had just arrived, and were glaring in their direction. Pissily, I might add.. "Should we go?" Silphiel asked urgently. Gourry shrugged.  
  
"Naw.. I can take care of them." He said, drawing his sword. Silphiel blinked, frightened. He glanced at her. "You stay back." He said. The bandits, being really, really stupid, ran up screaming,  
  
"FOR THE REVOLUTION!!!!" Gourry smiled, and yelled with equal ferocity,  
  
"HIKARI O!!!!" The bandits stopped in their tracks. Gourry, not one to give up on opportunity, ran up, and sliced them all up.. Ok.. They weren't dead.. But they were hurting. Meanwhile, in the deep forest, perched on a tree, stood a sinisterly smiling figure..  
  
*Hmm.. Impressive.* he thought, *Then again, I was told he was impressive. However. He may be a burden to my plans.. I might have to.. eliminate him.* He hopped down from the tree. Gourry cocked his head,  
  
"Trouble coming." He warned vaguely. Silphiel glanced at him, eyes frightened, and then nodded, and stepped back. Gourry frowned, and as he did, the sword of light flared  
  
"Where are you?" he shouted angrily. The figure clad in darkness seemingly appeared from nowhere. Gourry crouched and brandished his sword, "Who are you?" he asked. The dark figure smiled. He was tall, though not quite as tall as Gourry himself. Gourry estimated him to be a little shorter than Zel. His clothes reminded Gourry vaguely of Vrumugan's, though more flashy, and naught but his smile and a shock of dark hair showed beneath the cloak. Gourry frowned. The figure smiled,  
  
"Ah. Gabriev." He said. Gourry was taken off guard, but only momentarily. He growled.  
  
"How do you know my name?" he said through gritted teeth. The figure smiled,  
  
"I have my sources." he said, "Those are questions that will all be answered in time.." Suddenly, his eyes snapped to the place where Silphiel hid. He smiled, and suddenly he was there. He took Silphiel by the chin. He smiled at her, and she winced, "Lovely, you are. Just lovely. There was another, lovely like you.. Of course.. She didn't feel as good as you do." He smiled, "You make me tingle." He said in a dark voice. Silphiel winced away from the tone in his voice. Gourry's eyes widened,  
  
"You leave her alone!" he shouted. He swung the sword, and the energy rippled menacingly, waving towards the figure. He smiled.  
  
"Very impressive. Perhaps you won't be as easy as I thought. Ah, well, it would tip off the others if I killed you now anyway. Besides.." he said, kissing Silphiel lightly on the cheek, "Torturing you like this is so much more fun." He grinned, "But I have no time for this. I must watch myself." he said. He smiled, and turned, pointing a finger at Gourry, cocking it back like a gun, "Die." And just like that he was gone. Silphiel shuddered.  
  
Gourry ran up to her, sheathing his sword. He sneered, "I think we should go back, Silphiel, looks like this place has gotten too dangerous." he said, shielding her with his strong arms and guiding her back to the others.  
  
"Hey! Here's something.." Lina said, face still buried in the book, "Looks like during the War of the Monster's Fall, ten thousand years ago, this same thing was used by the golden dragons, in an effort to combat the mazoku." She said. She glanced at Xelloss, as if wanting it confirmed. Xelloss nodded,  
  
"Yes, that's true. I remember. A rather interesting story, actually.. It seems that a lesser demon servant of Dynast and the general of Deep-Sea Dolphin joined forces for a brief time, to create a creature which would spread among the ranks of the golden dragon, letting fear infect them and causing them to be disheartened." Amelia blinked.  
  
"That's horrible! It's like.."  
  
"Guerrilla warfare." Gracia finished. There was a glint in her eye which none of them had ever before seen.. It was the glint of pure blood lust, probably at the memory of some long-ago battle. Nahga shivered violently. Amelia placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. Xelloss glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, and continued.  
  
"Well, it seems that when they released it among the ranks, it decided that it would be more prosperous if it instead infected the much more easily infested mazoku dragons. After that failed experiment, the golds discovered the dragon symbiotes, and used them to their advantage, killing the dragons and harnessing the poison. Obviously, Dinas and Aqualine were put to death immediately, and measures were taken to get rid of the poison.." he sobered, "However.. We lost more than I can say in that folly. And we never found a cure. After the war, we never had need to. The symbiote was never encountered again, since then." He sighed, "If only we had thought to find it, just in case. But. We were busy." He said, almost as if giving an excuse. Lina sniffed,  
  
"Well, shoulda is not helping us right now. Why don't we try the best alternative. Lana!" Lina called. Lana walked up.  
  
"Yes, Miss Lina?" she asked.  
  
"In a few days, you're probably going to have to perform that holy cleansing thing on Xelloss.." Xelloss sat up.  
  
"WHAT?" he said, "That would kill me!" he said. Lina shook her head.  
  
"No. Not if you were human. You said you were getting your powers taken away, and that you would become human. Correct?"  
  
"Right.. But not after a lot of pain and suf-"  
  
"And that means that you won't be weak against Lana-chan's magic, correct?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but.."  
  
"So then, everything's Ok, right?" Lina said crossing her arms, "I don't see a problem." She said. Xelloss opened his eyes, and they were cracking and sparking.  
  
"But.. If I am human, I can never become a mazoku again. Not even if I was killed and resurrected by my mistress, the white magic will have corrupted my body too much. And, that means in the end that my mistress will send someone to kill me, and create a new Xelloss Metallium, instilling that Xelloss with all my memories, but the ones that were counterproductive. Not a good way to go. I am eternally grateful to my mistress, but she may demote me for dying on her." Lina put her book aside, staring at him with hard eyes.  
  
"Look, Xelloss Metallium. If you want to die a horrible painful death, with all the weakness, and all the hallucinations, and all that fun stuff. Then you go for it. But. If you want to live, even a very short life, you will let us do what we can. And fight. It's the least you can do for all of us who are stupidly helping you." She said. Gourry ran in.  
  
"We met up with some bandits, but I took care of them." He said, panting, "But I don't think we're safe here anymore. You wanna get a move on?" he asked. Lina looked at all the faces around her, and nodded.  
  
"Sounds like a decent plan to me." she said, slinging her big ol' book into the giant bag, and throwing it to Amelia. Amelia staggered under the weight, and then Gracia and Nahga ran up, maneuvering their bodies so as to bear some of the weight. Amelia smiled in relief.  
  
Zel, who had been leaning on a tree the entire time, stood up, and put his hands on his hips.  
  
"All right.. We can go." He said. He sighed, his mind still assimilating everything he had heard. As he walked, he thought about it. It seemed to Zel that Xelloss was frightened.. And though he thought that usually that would make him pleased, even a little smug, all it did was frighten him more. It also seemed to him that Lina didn't realize that when Lana performed that spell, that she would become infected with the power draining creature. He must have been looking at her funny, because she slowed her pace to talk to him.  
  
"You are thinking something bad about me, I can tell.." she said, making a motion as if to tweak him on the nose. He shook his head.  
  
"No. I just wanted to know if you realized that when Lana performs that spell." Lina looked down with momentary recognition. He knew she knew. She shook her head.  
  
"Lana would never agree to it if she thought it was an empty sacrifice." Lina said, "I know that because it's the exact opposite of what I would be thinking. To give myself up for Xelloss? Someone who would be resurrected anyway? What.. I shudder to say the word.. justice is in that?" Zel smiled faintly,  
  
"Just so long as you know you're limitations.." he joked. Lina looked at him, eyes serious.  
  
"Zel. You know how much I care about every person in this motley group? I would do this for any one of you. I mean, I'm doing it for Xelloss, and I don't even like him that much. He creeps me out." Zel nodded.  
  
"I know, Lina. I can see it in your eyes. You were meant to be a leader, but it's getting to be tough, isn't it?" he asked, eyes narrowing. He looked forward, "I know how that is." He said, with a hint of hidden pain in his eyes. Lina squinted at him, mouth halfway open.  
  
"Zel." she said, "You.. You still think about Rodimous and Zolf, don't you?" she asked. Zel turned away. Lina put a hand on his arm, "Zel. That was in the past." She said. Zel turned to her.  
  
"It was my fault.." he said faintly, "I pulled them into it. But. Lina, did I ever tell you how I met them?" Lina shook her head, and Zel went on, "It wasn't just, these are Rezo's helpers, they're now under you. They never trusted Rezo, they trusted me. It was back, right after I was.. cursed." He said, memories taking him into the fading mists of his own past..  
  
"After I was cursed, there was a time when I couldn't talk to anyone. I spent my days in Rezo's lab. It was long after he had left, so I had to stay there with Eris."  
  
"Why are you moping so?" Eris asked, a tinge of irritation in her voice. More irritation about her creation, less irritation about Zelgadis. She frowned, "Go get me the things on this list, perhaps that will help. I can't be bothered to leave my work. Rezo-sama is counting on me.." Zel went cloaked, as he always did.. However, the hometown gang was always stalking around, looking for trouble.  
  
"Hey, what's your problem.. Kid?" one of them said, " Why are you all covered up?" Zel tried to push past him. The punk kid sneered, "trying to get away, huh?" he had asked, and he whipped Zel's cloak off. He gasped, and backed away in horror, and so did the rest of his friends, "You- You're a freak!" he had said. Zel had turned cold eyes to them, and growled, baring his teeth. He tried to draw his sword, before he realized that his reflexes had not completely adapted to his new body yet. The sword flew out, taking his hand with it. The youths stepped back, watching his sword fly into the underbrush and chop up the branches there. They smiled. One of them stepped up to him, and grabbed him by the collar. He went limp.  
  
"Who are you, freak?" the lead boy asked. Zel spat on the ground.  
  
"Zelgadis." he said, "Zelgadis Greywers." A few of the boys crossed themselves. The Lead boy gaped.  
  
"The Red priest's apprentice!" he said, and made the sign against evil. He had only gotten halfway through it when an axe plummeted at his feet. He stepped back with an exclamation of fear. A stocky man with graying brown hair stepped up.  
  
"Do you find joy in bullying the young?" he asked in a gravelly voice. Another man stepped from the bushes, a sorcerer by his looks. He had long blue-green hair.  
  
"Because we don't stand for that." He finished. The boys twitched and ran off, but the Lead boy had a warning for them,  
  
"You don't know who you're saving!" he shouted as he ran. The men turned, but by then, Zel had gotten his cloak back on. The blue-green haired one leaned down.  
  
"You needn't worry, boy, we have seen, and we don't mind. You resemble nothing I have ever seen before, and I like that." Zel covered up his face with his cloak and one hand. The blue-green haired one smiled, "I am Zolf. This is Rodimous. We have no cause, and we wish to take up yours." The memory faded, leaving a pleasant tone in Zel's mind, and he sighed, turning back to Lina, who had a rapt expression on her face.  
  
"They later told me that they had heard of me, and been intrigued. They had sincerely wanted to help me find my cure. You could tell what a fanatical kind of guy Zolf was.. He became that fanatic, about my cure. And when Rezo said that he would help me become cured if I found the philosopher's stone, we all then championed that cause. After I realized he wasn't going to deliver, they stood by me. I feel as if it was my fault that they died." He paused, blushing, "But, I've said too much." He said. Lina shook her head.  
  
"No. Thanks, Zel, now it's easier to remember why I do things like this."  
  
A dark figure in a tree above them shook his head.  
  
*They amuse me. Now I know why I was sent here.. To kill them.* He said. On the ground, Lana shuddered involuntarily, and then smiled weakly at Xelloss, who was leaning against a tree. She sighed,  
  
"Gracia-chan." She said. Gracia left Nahga and Amelia to take care of the burden and walked over to where Xelloss was, slinging him over her shoulder. He smiled weakly, his eyes open to mere slits. Lina bit her lip. This was going to be a hard decision. 


	9. Chapter 9: Immolation! Geez, just look i...

Chapter 9: Immolation! Geez, just look it up, you bums!  
  
Xelloss was drifting in and out of consciousness..  
  
*So.. This is what it's like to be dying, eh? Interesting.. I hope I don't have to see it through to a conclusion, though..* He felt himself being carried at a steady pace, but at another level, he felt a presence, one that had nothing to do with his mazoku feelings.. He felt a mind in his dreams, thoughts that weren't meshing with his own, but similar. He heard a voice that was very similar to his own whisper in his ear..  
  
"You are dying, aren't you?" He jumped, reacting to this unseen voice. Some part of his being was conscious of Lana's hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see her face marred with shock that her touch had not injured him. He closed them again. The voice came, once more, "Good. You were the only barrier between me and their murders. You shouldn't care. I don't. I hope to see you. Die. It would be a learning experience for me. Until we meet again, Former Priest/General of Beastmaster Zellas Metallium." The voice fled his mind and he relaxed. His mind drifted. He vaguely felt his body being placed on the ground.  
  
"His breathing has become very shallow, Miss Lina.." Gracia said, a tremor of fear in her voice. Lina looked down, and Zel put a hand on her shoulder. She walked forward. Silphiel joined her. Lina's face looked down into his, worry fleeing over her beautiful features to make way for solemn determination.  
  
*Ah.. Lina.. Zelgadis.. Even Gourry and Amelia.. It's amazing how much I have realized now that they are my friends.. My wonderful friends..* he thought, sighing mentally. A tinge of extreme worry made its presence known at the very back of his mind, but he ignored it. Soon, everything would be perfect.. He would be finished.  
  
Lina bit her lip, this was the hardest decision she had ever made. She looked up at Lana.  
  
"Lana, are you ready?" she asked. Lana looked at Lina, eyes sad.  
  
"Yes, Miss Lina.. I am." She said, her voice as determined as Lina's was. Lina smiled in spite of herself. Her shadow kopii was doing very well for being the exact opposite of her. Lana sighed, and raised her arms to the sky.  
  
"Power of the flowing golden light.. Your servant I, command thee.. Let the evil entity which has plagued this demon race, be purged from this man, in thy great holy name..." She turned tear stained eyes to the sky, "I forfeit my life for his! HOLY CLEANSING!" She shouted in a strangled sob. A flash of goldish light more intense than before flooded the room. To Xelloss, he was going home.. In the very last seconds before he lost consciousness for the last time.. A woman with golden flowing hair smiled down on him.  
  
"Silly monster you are. my son. You cannot die. You must live to appreciate the endless sacrifice my chosen has given you. Would the Priest/General of a Dark Lord do any worse?" The deity said with a smile. Xelloss nodded, drowning in the golden light. When the light faded.. Lina stood up.  
  
"Lana?" she said. Zel got up, and looked around. Gourry helped Silphiel up, and Amelia and Nahga shuddered. Gracia held in her hands a limp Lana. Her eyes were stained with tears.  
  
"Miss Lina.." she said, "Is she?" Lina kneeled. Tentatively, she reached out a hand and placed it on Lana's arm. Lana jolted, and opened her eyes.  
  
"Lina?" she said, hoarsely. Lina blinked.  
  
"What is it?" she said. Lana smiled.  
  
"I saw her. I saw the mother." She said, eyes happy. Lina shook her head.  
  
"Lana.. You can't.." she said.  
  
"Die, Miss Lina? No. I will not die." She said, in a stronger voice. She pushed herself up, "The Lord.. of Nightmares has killed the symbiote. However. We have to figure out who sent it. That will be our quest. The Lord herself has told me this. Miss Silphiel. Please heal Mr. Xelloss." She said. Silphiel looked up, confused.  
  
"But Miss Lana, I cannot heal a mazoku?" she said questioningly. Gourry shook his head.  
  
"Silphiel. He.. He's not." he said. Lina shook her head.  
  
"He's human." She said. Silphiel's eyes widened, but she nodded, and walked over to him. Her hands lit with the white glow of Resurrection. Amelia stood back, eyes wide, and Nahga stood with her, façade dropped in the face of impending tragedy. Amelia blinked at the prostrate Xelloss and buried her face in her hands. Nahga, looking down at her, placed her hands on her shoulders and sighed. Amelia looked up with a start and smiled.  
  
"Thank you, onee-chan.." she whispered. Nahga patted her on the head.  
  
"It's okay, onee-chan.." She whispered back. Silphiel stood up and stepped back. She turned to the others, noting the worried looks on their faces. She sighed, and looked down.  
  
"I don't know if it will work." She said. Lina's lip firmed. She smiled weakly.  
  
"He can't die. We don't want another dark lord out to get us." She said, a quaver in her voice. Zel glanced at her, eyes dark. Gourry shook his head faintly. Suddenly, Xelloss opened his eyes. He sat up.  
  
"Too late, Lina-chan." He said weakly, "It seems we already have that problem." He blinked and shook his head to clear it. As he shook his head, his body reeled, and his arms wheeled back to catch himself. His face betrayed, for once, exactly what he felt inside. The four people who knew him best were unnerved to see the combined expressions of confusion, fear, shock, and daze on his normally so cheery face. His eyes were open, and Lina flinched to see, not the slitted pupil of a mazoku, but very wide frightened eyes that belonged to a very human man. She stepped forward lightly,  
  
"Xelloss?" she said. He glanced at her, and a momentary vacant smile flashed over his face.  
  
"So.. this is what mortality is like.." he said dreamily, "I. I'm going to die." He said. Lina bit her lip. Gracia, who had been blending into the background for the last few days, stepped forward mutely, and handed Xelloss a twisted length of wood. The gem in the upper portion of the staff glowed no longer, and now was an onyx-esque black. As the staff was placed in Xelloss' lap, the gem momentarily sparkled with red, as if recognizing its owner, but weakly. Xelloss picked it up, and stared blankly at it. Lana stepped forward, her demeanor much changed. She leaned down and put one hand forward, reaching out to Xelloss.  
  
"Xelloss-san.. come now. You are safe." She said. Xelloss blinked, and reached out his own hand, allowing himself to be helped up. He stood, seeming less dazed now, but still shaken. Halfheartedly, he wiped the dust and sweat from his robes. And stood. Zel and Gourry exchanged glances. Amelia bit her lip. Xelloss, now a human man, was being led to the road, stumbling a bit, but still conscious, still living. Everyone noticed something missing, especially Silphiel. Lina stood, eyes dark, but body and voice not betraying the fear she felt inside. Everyone else knew this fear. You see, the one thing everyone had counted on was that secret. Xelloss. They always knew that he was hiding something from them, and it shook them to their deepest cores to see the state he was now in. Yet, that was not of consequence. They could mention none of that now. Lina smiled, albeit falsely.  
  
"Well, everyone, let's go find an inn, and get some food.. JEEZ, I'm starving!" she said. Gourry nodded.  
  
"Yeah. Come on Silphiel." He said. Silphiel smiled, and nodded, waving to all the rest, who followed. Lightly, Xelloss shook Lana off of his arm. He smiled at her gratefully.  
  
"Lana.. Thank you. You have paid me a greater debt than any person has ever done me. Even my master in creating me. I shall, forever be grateful to you. Forever." He said, his voice betraying more emotion than it had in a long time. Lana blushed with the force of his voice. She smiled, eyes watering,  
  
"Oh.. Xelloss-san.. No one. No one has ever, ever thanked me before. For anything I ever did. You are the one who has helped me.. Think no more of it." She said. Xelloss shook his head. He brought her forward, and softly, tenderly, kissed her on the forehead. She smiled, and then, looked to the right. Lina, Gourry, Zel, Silphiel, Amelia, Nahga, and Gracia, were staring at them with expressions ranging from amusement to confusion to dry humor to pride back to confusion twice, and then on to lightly contained jealousy. Lana smiled briefly at Xelloss, then went to stand with Gracia. She put a hand on her lover's cheek, and shushed her. Lina shrugged, and walked, and the others followed her. Xelloss blinked for a moment. Why had he done that? He had thought about that for no longer than he could have before Lina came up to him and smiled.  
  
"Hey Xelloss," she said with a sly smile, "Enjoying those human emotions a little too much, are we?" she asked. Xelloss blinked, wide-eyed, and cleared his throat.  
  
"Yes.. well, ahem.. um.. er." Before he could finish this fruitful train of thought, Lina clapped him on the back and walked past him, snickering softly. As she passed the rest, and they walked single-file off into the waning sunlight, Lina's face set. For some reason, she didn't think that this was over yet, and she didn't want to think about what it would end with. 


End file.
